Chapter 38 – Scars

“Hahaha!” Wu Wenbo gave a hearty laugh, not taking offense to Hao Chen’s rebuttal. With such a thin body, he still claimed he wasn’t lean?

His thighs weren’t even as thick as Wu Wenbo’s arms, and in terms of weight, he estimated that he was twice as heavy as this young disciple.

Wu Wenbo just thought this was an issue of a man’s pride at work, and considerately declined to continue the topic.

“Why didn’t you stay on our territory? Why are you on Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ship?” Wu Wenbo asked now that Hao Chen’s identity had been confirmed.

“Because…..” Maintaining his smile, Hao Chen suddenly took a step back and tugged Feng Ye’s sleeve, pulling him back into the matter. He gestured toward Feng Ye and said: “Because my best friend is here. I missed him dearly, and came to visit him.”

“Oh?” Wu Wenbo raised his eyebrows and looked at Feng Ye, who Hao Chen had forcibly pulled over. Those were the unique black and white robes of Lingxiao Sword Sect, nearly the same as the ones Sect Leader Ji was wearing.

The white daoist robes he was wearing were nearly the same as Hao Chen’s, and his purpose for coming over here was nearly the same too.

Thinking of this, Wu Wenbo completely forgot about the fact that Hao Chen hadn’t greeted him at the beginning. On the contrary, he patted Hao Chen’s shoulder and praised him: “Good! This is the way mutual exchange between our sects should be. You fellows keep building your relationship, I’m going to find Sect Leader Ji to reminisce about the past.”

Having said this, he left Feng Ye and Hao Chen and walked straight over to where Ji Chengyue was standing.

Even though a small incident had popped up, Wu Wenbo still hadn’t forgotten about the person he’d been scolding. As soon as he reached Ji Chengyue, he proceeded to curse: “Just wait and see, according to that bastard Xiao Ding’s habits, he’ll ride that cloud around the area once and not land until he’s completed the tour.”

He spoke in an unreservedly loud voice. Not only could Sect Leader Ji hear him, but also all the disciples of Lingxiao Sword Sect on the ship.

Everyone looked toward the dark cloud Wu Wenbo was lambasting. But the cloud was presently rolling onward, and judging from its trajectory, it was about to make a circle.

When the dark cloud floated overhead, all they could see above was a vast expanse of darkness. However, now that it was moving away, they could actually see some of the scenery on top of it.

Quite a few people could be vaguely seen standing atop the dark cloud. Their robes looked quite uniform, and it was likely that they were from a sect participating in the Floating Island Secret Realm.

And as Wu Wenbo had said, this dark cloud should be the heaven-grade weapon called the Cloud-Summoning Banner.

At present, the effect of this magic weapon was not much different than the large ships brought by other sects. Both were flying magical instruments that could accommodate multiple people, but this cloud looked far more majestic and dazzling. 

But since it qualified as a heaven-grade magic weapon, the abilities of the Cloud-Summoning Banner were far more than just this.

As the sect leader of Tiangong Pavilion, Wu Wenbo was different from Hao Chen, who could only comment on the appearance of the magic weapon and had nothing but bad intentions – he knew the characteristics and disadvantages of various magic weapons very well.

Therefore, he was extremely envious of the Cloud-Summoning Banner. The reason he cursed the owner of the weapon, Xiao Ding, was that he truly looked down on Xiao Ding’s grand arrival and felt the need to criticise what he couldn’t have.

Ji Chengyue knew that Wu Wenbo coveted the Cloud-Summoning Banner, so he wasn’t surprised by his words, and even agreed with them. After all, he had no positive feelings toward Xiao Ding.

However, saying such vulgar words in front of this group of young disciples was rather unbecoming of a sect leader. Therefore, instead of replying directly, he motioned for Wu Wenbo to follow him into the cabin to speak.

The two sect leaders walked from the deck into the cabin. Perhaps they set up some kind of magic array to block sound, because Wu Wenbo’s loud voice could no longer be heard.

But even when the two sect leaders left, everyone’s attention was still focused on the circling dark cloud.

Wherever this dark cloud floated, there were exclamations of surprise. People who were chatting happily with friends experienced sudden darkness, and looked up in alarm to see a dark cloud rolling across the sky.

Their reactions were no different from those of the Lingxiao Sword Sect disciples before.

As a result, more and more people stared at the dark cloud. And once it had attracted everyone’s attention, the dark cloud looked as if it was beginning to descend.

Maintaining the same ostentatious style as its debut, it unsurprisingly chose to land right in the center of everyone.

As the dark cloud went lower and lower, everyone could finally see the people atop the cloud and what they were wearing.

Those daoist robes with the eight trigram pattern…..Wending Sect…..

When they realized the identity of this group of people, ships large and small that occupied the middle area immediately moved away to make room for the people of Wending Sect.

There was nothing else to be done. They were currently the largest sect in the world.

Even though they were displeased with Wending Sect’s behavior, they could only keep such displeasure to themselves. Because they couldn’t afford to offend these people.

Wending Sect focused on alchemy, and possessed strong financial resources, which could be seen in the eight trigram robes the disciples were wearing.

They were just ordinary disciple robes, but the symbol of Wending Sect was embroidered on them in gold thread – a small tripod cauldron.^[1]

And the disciples of Lingxiao Sword Sect who had just heard Wu Wenbo’s cursing finally realized who Xiao Ding was.

Xiao Ding was the current sect leader of Wending Sect, a middle-aged man who was presently standing at the forefront of the cloud with his hands behind his back, sporting a moustache and a haughty expression.

The “ding” in Xiao Ding’s name was nearly the same as the “ding” in Wending Sect, which referred to a cauldron used in alchemy. However, everyone secretly gave him the nickname Xiao Ding (萧顶), which naturally meant “to look down on others.”

Who made Xiao Ding act so proud and arrogant, relying on the fact that he was the leader of the largest sect in the world?

He always paid attention to ostentation and extravagance wherever he went, disregarding the feelings of others. He came and found an open space to stop just like the other sects, but insisted on using the heaven-grade weapon Cloud-Summoning Banner to do so. The group of them circled above the heads of the crowd, drawing the attention of the entire audience before landing.

They really…..deserved a beating.

Many people felt this way, but no one dared to point a finger at Xiao Ding’s nose and reprimand him. Even Wu Wenbo only badmouthed Xiao Ding in front of Ji Chengyue. Although he wouldn’t spare Xiao Ding a good look, he wouldn’t be so disrespectful in his presence.

Wending Sect was known as the largest sect in the world. Not only were they wealthy – they were also very strong, with seven elders at Nascent Soul stage.

Elixirs were different from magic weapons, which were, after all, auxiliary. Elixirs were able to actually improve one’s cultivation and spiritual power.

Wending Sect itself was the largest producer of elixirs in the world. Every month, it distributed elixirs to improve the cultivation of its disciples, and it could be said that the cultivation of most of the sect’s disciples had been enhanced by such spiritual medicine.

Although the cultivation gained through elixirs was not as stable as the cultivation gained by oneself, their average cultivation level was much higher than that of the other sects. And those other disciples could do nothing but bite their handkerchiefs and secretly ridicule their cultivation for being unstable.

A hundred years ago, this sect had been second-best and wasn’t as high-profile as it was today. Because Lingxiao Sword Sect, headed by Ling Yun, had firmly occupied first place. It had pressed down on Xiao Ding like a mountain, not even giving him a chance to vie for the position.

However, times had changed, and so had the people. Wending Sect was still the same Wending sect, but Lingxiao Sword Sect was no longer the same as before.

With the failure of the bridge to heaven, Lingxiao Sword Sect had suffered heavy losses, with thousands of dead or wounded disciples, including five Nascent Soul elders. And as for the sect leader, Ling Yun…..no trace of him was left…..

As a result, Lingxiao Sword Sect fell from number one, and Wending Sect succeeded the throne.

The past hundred years had proven the old saying true: when there are no tigers on the mountain, the monkeys reign.

How could Wending Sect, a group of people who rose to prominence by consuming elixirs, become the top sect in the world?

Everyone was unresigned to it, but nobody could shake their number one position.

On this journey to the Floating Island Secret Realm, among the Qi Refining disciples sent by Wending Sect, a rough look revealed that there were at least twenty people at the tenth level of Qi Refining, which was roughly equal to the sum of all the other sects combined.

Although this group of high-level medicine jars often depleted their spiritual power in battle, they were undeniably wealthy. When their spiritual power was completed, they would take more pills and gradually wear down their opponent.

Therefore, although everyone was indignant as they watched the group descend into the middle of them, nobody said anything in front of Xiao Ding. On the contrary, they came forward and greeted him with respect.

Feng Ye, Hao Chen, and Fang Yang, who had little knowledge of the cultivation world, listened to the introduction of nearby fellow disciples. Only then did they understand why they had arrived in such an ostentatious manner.

Unlike the others, who were respectful on the surface but contemptuous underneath, Hao Chen very sincerely admired Xiao Ding’s method of entrance.

What was the point of having money if you couldn’t show it off?

Hao Chen, a fellow wealthy man, sent a sympathetic look toward Wending Sect. He had chosen the wrong identity. Pretending to be a member of Wending Sect would have suited him better.

“What are those people doing here?” Feng Ye paid no more attention to Wending Sect, nor did he care about what Hao Chen beside him was thinking. He pointed at a group of people in different styles of clothing standing in a long line and asked his fellow disciples nearby.

“Those people, ah…..” A fellow disciple looked over. 

“Yeah, isn’t it the case that each of the top ten sects has one hundred spots for Qi Refining disciples and ten spots for Foundation Establishment disciples? Why are there so many people here?” Fang Yang also asked.

He didn’t noticed them when they first arrived, but after following the route of Wending Sect’s cloud and observing the area, he found that far more than ten sects had arrived here.

The enthusiastic fellow disciple proceeded to answer enthusiastically: “The Floating Island Secret Realm doesn’t belong only to the top ten sects. There are so many cultivators in the world. All of the spots can’t be given to just the top ten, right?”

Feng Ye and Fang Yang nodded in agreement.

The enthusiastic disciple continued: “So in addition to the fixed quotas of the top ten sects, an additional five hundred spots for Qi Refining and fifty spots for Foundation Establishment are given to individual cultivators and small sects. The method used to allocate this quota is similar to ours – through competitions.”

“No matter your status, you can participate as long as you meet the cultivation requirements. Then you’ll receive a token from the Independent Cultivator Alliance and be able to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm. The people queuing over there are getting their identities checked to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation. This isn’t necessary for our sects. Our clothing is the best proof of our identities.”

This enthusiastic fellow disciple puffed out his chest as he spoke. Although Lingxiao Sword Sect had declined in the past hundred years, a lean camel was still bigger than a horse. Lingxiao Sword Sect was still much better than those small sects no one had even heard of.

“I see, ah. Thanks for letting me know.” Feng Ye thanked his enthusiastic fellow disciple, then stared at the people queuing for a while before looking away, waiting for the Floating Island Secret Realm to open.

And as Feng Ye withdrew his gaze, among the differently-clothed group of cultivators from various sects, a man covered in black robes suddenly raised his head and looked over.

There were huge crowds of people here, and ships of all sizes were crowded together like a busy market, but his gaze passed through the sea of people and lingered solely on Lingxiao Sword Sect.

His body was covered in loose robes, and his height, weight, and figure couldn’t be seen clearly. The only part of his face visible through his robes was covered with a metal mask.

The only aspect exposed were his deep, unfathomable black eyes.

“Hey, it’s your turn. Take out your token,” the person in charge of processing admissions said to the man.

The man’s gaze finally shifted away from Lingxiao Sword Sect. Without saying a word, he stretched a hand out of his wide sleeves and showed his token.

The person processing admissions took the token and inspected it. After confirming that it was genuine, he didn’t immediately move on to the next person. Instead, he regarded the man in black robes and a mask with some suspicion: “Why are you covering yourself so tightly? Are you some kind of wanted demonic cultivator?”

The man glanced at the inspector calmly from behind his mask, then replied without any emotion: “No.”

But the inspector was not Fang Yang, so it was impossible for him to believe everything the man said, and his doubts were not dispelled by the man’s denial: “Then why do you have to hide your head and show your tail?^[2] Either give me a convincing reason or take off the mask and let me have a look.”

The man and the inspector looked at each other silently for a moment, and the inspector inexplicably felt a chill crawl down his back. Staring into those deep, quiet eyes for any length of time filled him with a sense of horror, as if there was some terrible monster lurking inside them.

The more I look at this fellow, the more something seems off, the inspector thought. He was a little nervous being stared at. Just when he was about to call someone else over to help question this person, the masked man finally moved.

Don’t tell me he’s about to silence me, the inspector thought wildly, and couldn’t help but gulp anxiously.

However, this was not the case. It was broad daylight, and there were numerous people  watching. If the man really tried something, he wouldn’t be able to escape.

Therefore, the man didn’t take action. He stretched a hand out of his sleeve again and raised it in front of him. This time, because of the larger movement, not only the wrist, but part of his forearm was exposed. 

The man’s left hand was relatively normal, with distinct joints. But his forearm, which was gradually exposed from his sleeve, was covered in wrinkled, puckered skin.

Burn scars, thought the examiner.

The man raised his hand to the mask on his face. When it moved away, the left half of the man’s face was finally exposed to everyone.

But it would have been better if he hadn’t exposed it, because his face was just like his arm, covered in ugly scars. They were not just burns, but also straight-line scars from sword cuts.

The wounds were densely packed and covered his entire face. Although they had long since scabbed over and healed, this didn’t stop them from being horrific. This was a face so horrifying that people dreaded seeing it in their dreams.

“No need to lift it any more! I get it!” The inspector hurriedly stopped the man from removing the mask. Although only the left half of his face could be seen and the right half was still hidden under the mask, half was already scary enough!

The inspector had no desire to see the entirety of his face, and understood why he had covered himself so tightly. It was likely because of his wounds that the man wore a mask so as not to scare others.

The man obediently stopped removing his mask, and instead restored it to its original place.

The inspector couldn’t wait to pass by the man and move on to the next person. As he walked, he patted his chest in fright, feeling that he wouldn’t be able to sleep well for the next few days. Whenever he thought of that ghastly face, his hair stood on end.

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[1] This tripod cauldron, a xiao ding (小鼎 ) is pronounced much the same as the Wending sect leader’s name, Xiao Ding (萧鼎). ⮐

[2] To hide your head and show your tail is to conceal part of the truth. ⮐

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Chapter 37 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 39

T/N: Thank you to Cocole for the Kofi donation! Here is the belated chapter, plus an extra!

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Chapter 37 – Lean

“Fate is truly incredible. We just separated yesterday, and unexpectedly met again here. Isn’t this destiny?” Hao Chen marveled pretentiously.

Feng Ye: “…..”

Like hell this is destiny. This is clearly your doing.

The corners of his mouth gave a slight twitch. He’d known Hao Chen wouldn’t be so easy to get rid of. This guy had come back with a surprise attack. 

He’d been wondering why Hao Chen had left so abruptly yesterday. He had probably planned it all in advance, and was waiting to appear in front of him today and scare him.

Judging from the direction he came from, Hao Chen had come from the large ship belonging to Tiangong Pavilion. Hao Chen had likely done the same as Feng Ye and used some means to secure a spot, participating in the Floating Island Secret Realm as a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion.

“Fellow Daoist Hao Chen…..moves so quickly, ah.” Feng Ye gave a heartfelt sigh.

Although Lingxiao Sword Sect and Tiangong Pavilion were on good terms, the distance between them was not short, and it might take ten days of walking to reach the other sect. Flying on a sword would be faster, but it would still take around an entire day.

It had taken a full day and night from the time he and Hao Chen parted ways to when they met again.

And during this day and night, he would have had to rush back to Tiangong Pavilion to reunite with his sect members, figure out how to secure a spot, and finally take the sect’s ship to reach the entrance of the Floating Island Secret Realm above the North Sea before him.

Such a complex process had been accomplished in one day and one night. If he didn’t exclaim over Hao Chen’s speed, he wouldn’t be doing his efforts justice.

So when Feng Ye said this, he was being sincere. This piece of sticky candy was really trying hard to stick to him.

Hao Chen’s smile deepened when he heard this. He naturally knew what Feng Ye meant, so he didn’t pretend it was a coincidence, and just said half-truthfully: “For the sake of being able to follow Fellow Daoist Feng Ye here, it was nothing. After all, you’ve recognized my painstaking efforts.”

He winked at Feng Ye.

There was no expression on Feng Ye’s face as he tried to block this slightly pink-hued sight from his mind.

“Hao-dage, why are you here too?” A youth’s voice, still somewhat immature, cut into their conversation.

Fang Yang approached them curiously, first looking at Hao Chen, then at Feng Ye. He was already surprised when Useless Shixiong appeared on the ship, and he certainly hadn’t expected to see Hao-dage here.

In order to catch Hao Chen off guard, Feng Ye had secretly exchanged his fan for a spot in the Floating Island Secret Realm without telling anyone, including Fang Yang. 

Considering the mouth on Fang Yang, what would be the difference between telling Fang Yang and telling Hao Chen?

Thus, like Hao Chen, Fang Yang hadn’t known that his Useless Shixiong was going to the secret realm until he boarded the ship at the last moment.

Fang Yang was successfully persuaded that Feng Ye had done it as a surprise for him, and he had indeed been surprised.

Although the Floating Island Secret Realm was full of dangers, and Useless Shixiong’s cultivation was completely useless, at least there would be someone he knew with him. Fang Yang’s previously anxious heart calmed slightly.

He just hadn’t expected Hao Chen, whom he’d said goodbye to yesterday, to appear here.

Facing Fang Yang’s naive, puzzled gaze, Hao Chen asked a question instead of giving a straight answer: “What did you shixiong say?”

Fang Yang said honestly: “He said he wanted to give me a surprise, so he secretly exchanged places with someone else without telling me.”

Hao Chen smiled and plagiarized Feng Ye’s excuse: “I wanted to give you a surprise too.”

“I see, ah.” Fang Yang immediately nodded and expressed his sincere gratitude: “Thank you.”

Feng Ye: “……”

He could only hold his forehead. This naive boy really believed whatever people told him.

Hao Chen’s lie was so perfunctory that he didn’t even bother to make up a new excuse. It was likely that nobody in the world would believe it other than Fang Yang.

Just as Feng Ye was speechless, there was suddenly a noise off to the side.

This place was as lively as a market, but at this moment, there were some unified exclamations of amazement. 

Feng Ye and the other two couldn’t help but follow the gazes of the others, looking toward the object of the exclamations.

When they looked up, the first thing they saw was a dark cloud that covered almost their entire field of vision.

The exclamations outside startled Sect Leader Ji, who was sitting inside the ship cabin. He rushed to open the door curtain, walked onto the deck, and put his hands behind his back as he gazed at the dark cloud above his head.

Some people just thought the weather had changed.

Feng Ye, however, instantly realized that this wasn’t the case. The dark cloud pressing down on everyone’s heads wasn’t just some dark cloud. There was no way a cloud could have dropped this low and rolled forward in such a way. It was more like…..

It was being controlled by someone.

As soon as this occurred to Feng Ye, a somewhat rough shout reached his ears: “That old fellow Xiao Ding always does something like this before the Floating Island Secret Realm opens. Isn’t it just the heaven-grade weapon Cloud-Summoning Banner? Is it necessary to show off like this?!”

This voice immediately attracted everyone’s attention, and their gazes moved in unison from the dark cloud to the person who had cursed.

This person was incredibly tall and well-built, with bronze skin and muscled arms that could be seen through his sleeves. At this moment, he glared and cursed at the dark cloud overhead, giving off an inexplicable sense of ferocity.

Who was this? How had he gotten onto their Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ship?

Many people were asking themselves this question.

Feng Ye thought the same, but quickly came to a conclusion based on his own speculations. Looking at the man’s gold-edged daoist robes, he compared them to Hao Chen’s.

Apart from the fact that the man’s robes boasted more intricate workmanship and refined patterns, there was no particularly obvious difference between the two robes. They were basically of the same style.

Sect Leader Ji’s answer mirrored Feng Ye’s conjecture. Ji Chengyue glanced at the visitor and couldn’t help but laugh: “Wu Wenbo, you haven’t changed at all.”

The man named Wu Wenbo^[1] had a personality that didn’t match his bookish name at all. When he heard this, the man smiled heartily: “Ji Chengyue, you also haven’t changed at all.”

The fact that this person could address the Lingxiao Sect Leader by his given name meant that the two were of equal status and position. The man’s identity was self-evident.

Feng Ye suddenly nudged Hao Chen next to him with his elbow. Hao Chen had yet to realize that this was Tiangong Pavilion’s sect leader.

Hao Chen was truly an actor who didn’t put his heart into the show. Not only was he unprofessional, but he also often forgot about his fake identity.

Such a carefree person who treats life as a game and is obsessed with himself is the type to bring misfortune down on his own head, Feng Ye thought.

When Feng Ye suddenly elbowed him, Hao Chen looked at him in puzzled surprise. Feng Ye had always been so careful to avoid him, so why did he take the initiative to touch him now?

Feng Ye saw his expression and immediately understood. This unprofessional guy still didn’t get it.

He immediately grasped Hao Chen’s fan-holding hand and unfolded the fan, covering their faces with it as he whispered: “Your boss is looking at you.”

That face coming so close to him caused Hao Chen to become slightly distracted. He should have no interest in such an ordinary face, and should even dislike it being so close, but he felt no resistance to Feng Ye’s approach.

He stared blankly for a moment before reacting to Feng Ye’s words.

What boss?

Hao Chen belatedly looked toward where Wu Wenbo was standing.

This burly man with a body like an iron tower was staring at him.

Why is he staring at me? Hao Chen wondered in confusion.

Wu Wenbo suddenly changed directions, veering off course from Ji Chengyue to Hao Chen.

Feng Ye gave a wicked, knowing smile and immediately took a step back, leaving the space entirely to Hao Chen and his nominal boss, Wu Wenbo.

He naturally wasn’t kind enough to remind Hao Chen of his fake identity. His inspiration for doing this was an incident where Feng Ye had been eavesdropping on people, and the movements of Hao Chen’s fan exposed him.

Hao Chen was standing quietly aside, and Wu Wenbo hadn’t yet noticed that there was a disciple from Tiangong Pavilion on Linxiao Sword Sect’s ship. But when Feng Ye suddenly opened the fan in Hao Chen’s hand with a swish, the movement drew Wu Wenbo’s attention.

And Hao Chen, this imposter, still hadn’t realized that this was his own sect leader, and didn’t even bow. 

Wu Wenbo looked at him for a moment, and when he didn’t see him move, he approached with the likely goal of punishing him.

Hopefully he would take this opportunity to expose Hao Chen! Feng Ye intended to watch the fun, and didn’t overthink it.

Wu Wenbo stopped a step away from Hao Chen. He was tall in stature. Hao Chen was certainly not short, and had a well-proportioned figure, but he looked rather frail and weak in front of Wu Wenbo’s iron tower-like figure.

Wu Wenbo crossed his arms, muscles bulging as he regarded Hao Chen: “Which sect are you from? Why do you seem so unfamiliar to me?”

Feng Ye gave Wu Wenbo an internal thumbs-up as his attack hit a critical point. It seemed that Hao Chen could no longer keep his fake identity.

And at this moment, Hao Chen finally realized the man’s identity.

At the same time, he realized why Feng Ye uncharacteristically approached him.

I’ve fallen into a trap, Hao Chen thought with some regret.

However, even though he’d fallen into a trap, it wouldn’t be so easy to remove his disguise.

Although Hao Chen’s acting didn’t come from the heart, the identity he had forged could still stand up to scrutiny. So he bowed to Wu Wenbo and answered in a respectful manner: “Answering the sect leader, this disciple is from Lizi Pavilion, and entered the sect three years ago.”

But Wu Wenbo frowned even harder when he heard this. He looked Hao Chen up and down, feeling that his body was too thin and weak, and questioned: “The entry requirements of Lizi Pavilion are extremely strict when it comes to strength. How did you pass?”

Tiangong Pavilion was a sect that focused on refining weapons, and refining weapons always required strength. The disciples who were assigned to Li Pavilion were all physically powerful.

In terms of strength, even if they weren’t as tall as Wu Wenbo, they were very much like him. Hao Chen…..looked like a weak scholar. How strong could he be?

Therefore, Wu Wenbo had some doubts about Hao Chen’s claims.

Facing Wu Wenbo’s questioning, Hao Chen didn’t answer directly. Instead, he extended a hand to Wu Wenbo and said with a smile: “Try it and find out, Sect Leader.”

Was he trying to compete with him in strength? Wu Wenbo raised his eyebrows. This young disciple had guts. Who didn’t know that Wu Wenbo possessed superhuman strength?

He disdainfully took Hao Chen’s hand, and then…..couldn’t move it at all.

Wu Wenbo couldn’t help but get serious, and used all of his strength this time. His face turned red and veins popped out on his forehead, but Hao Chen’s hand remained motionless.

After several attempts, Wu Wenbo was finally convinced. He patted Hao Chen’s shoulders, which were relatively thin compared to his own, and praised him: “Alright, you can’t judge a person by appearance. You look so lean. I didn’t expect you to be so strong.”

Hao Chen retorted with a smile: “This disciple isn’t lean.”

When it came to tonnage, who had the ability to rival him?

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[1] Wu Wenbo’s name, 武文博, contains the character 文, referring to the arts. Wenbo, 文博, also refers to the study of ancient relics. ⮐

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Chapter 36 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 38

Chapter 36 – Setting Sail

“What is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye whispering about?” With some displeasure, Hao Chen watched as Feng Ye whispered something to Fang Yang.

The two of them had been whispering in the corner for a long time. There was no way of telling what they were talking about, and there hadn’t been a result thus far.

It was like they were having a secret meeting behind his back.

The more Hao Chen thought about it, the unhappier he became. He was Feng Ye’s legitimate dual cultivation partner in name only. Although Feng Ye himself was unaware of this, all of the other disciples other than Fang Yang knew. 

His empress was standing next to him, and this junior disciple from who knows where was stealing him right from under his nose?

How shameless! Hao Chen thought shamelessly.

He had no self-awareness when it came to who the shameless person actually was.

In response to his almost accusatory question, Feng Ye simply glanced at him calmly, then turned his head and continued the previous topic: “Anyway, if you miss this opportunity, you’ll never get it again. Think it over carefully.”

The junior disciple before him was extremely hesitant. He wanted to agree, but also wanted to refuse, and couldn’t come to a conclusion.

Seeing his expression, Feng Ye understood that he was moved by his words.

From a racing heart to action, there was only one spark left, and Feng Ye lit this fire. He feigned regret, saying: “If you don’t agree, I’ll find someone else.”

“Don’t, don’t.” Feng Ye’s fire was lit successfully, and this junior disciple finally made a decision. Gritting his teeth, Fang Yang stretched out his hand and slapped it against Feng Ye’s: “Deal!”

The deal was struck. A smile appeared on Feng Ye’s lips.

He said goodbye to his fellow disciple, and only then did he have time to deal with Hao Chen.

Hao Chen felt that Feng Ye seemed inexplicably cheerful today, but didn’t know the cause, so he couldn’t help but ask: “What has Fellow Daoist Feng Ye encountered to make him so happy?”

Feng Ye bobbed his head inscrutably.

Just as Hao Chen was about to ask further, Feng Ye took the initiative to speak. He smiled and said to Hao Chen: “Isn’t seeing you the happiest thing?”

Hao Chen was stunned on the spot.

Feng Ye’s joy was even further amplified when he saw Hao Chen’s dumbfounded appearance, and he hummed a tune as he walked past the other party.

The floor hadn’t been swept yet after chatting the whole morning, so he took a broom and prepared to get to work.

And Hao Chen stood there, doubting life. They were playing the wrong roles, ah. He should have been the one to say that.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. There was something strange about Feng Ye today.

With this in mind, Hao Chen hurriedly chased after him. He tried to indirectly ask what had Feng Ye behaving abnormally today, but Feng Ye just smiled. It was a sincere smile.

Hao Chen didn’t know what he was so happy about.

Could it be that he truly is happy to see my charming self? Hao Chen thought shamelessly.

But despite his thick skin, Hao Chen was unable to convince himself. After all, during their confrontation beneath the moon last night, the way Feng Ye looked at him didn’t seem like he was falling for him, but rather like he wanted to get rid of him.

How had he changed so much in just one night?

No matter how hard he tried, Hao Chen couldn’t figure it out. But he couldn’t just pry Feng Ye’s mouth open.

Just as he was at a loss, Fang Yang arrived.

He rushed up to Feng Ye with a look of excitement on his face and shouted: “Shixiong! It’s too bad you didn’t watch the Foundation Establishment tournament today! You don’t know how thrilling it was. They used all kinds of spells, and they were all so strong!”

Feng Ye’s reaction was mild. He just said calmly: “Is that so?”

Fang Yang nodded vigorously: “Absolutely! And Cao Zirui was really strong, ah. He didn’t use any spells the whole time, and just defeated his opponents with swordplay and spiritual power.”

Feng Ye smiled: “Then you’ll need to work harder if you want to surpass him.”

“That’s for sure,” Fang Yang said, clenching his fists.

The two of them were conversing as if there was no one else around. Hao Chen, who was being ignored, became even unhappier. He suddenly cut in: “Shouldn’t you go pack your things and prepare for tomorrow’s departure?”

There were still two days before the Floating Island Secret Realm opened, but because the journey was a lengthy one, all of the disciples who had obtained spots would have to board a large flying ship supplied by the sect and set off tomorrow.

Fang Yang slapped his head when he heard this: “Oh, that’s right. I’ll go back and pack my things first.”

He waved goodbye to Feng Ye and Hao Chen.

Feng Ye continued to sweep the floor once Fang Yang left, and Hao Chen continued to pester him in an attempt to figure out the reason for his strange behavior.

However, his doubts continued through to the next day. When he got up early in the morning with Feng Ye to see Fang Yang off, he still hadn’t figured it out.

“Do you have everything?” Feng Ye asked.

Fang Yang checked his storage bag, which every disciple owned. The space inside wasn’t much bigger than a pocket, and it couldn’t hold much, but it was better than nothing.

Fang Yang counted out his supplies: “Wound medicine, herbs for removing miasma…..”

He counted everything carefully to make certain that it was all there. He also touched the bamboo piece hanging around his neck that housed the Mysterious Big Brother, then replied to Feng Ye: “Everything is ready.”

Feng Ye patted him on the shoulder and said: “Be careful, and do things according to your abilities. Keeping your life is more important than any rare treasure.”

“Don’t worry, I understand,” said Fang Yang.

After saying this, he turned and boarded the large ship that was already full of people.

This ship was actually a magic tool that could accommodate hundreds of people in the air. After all, these Qi Refining disciples couldn’t fly on swords yet, and the journey to the secret realm was long, so the sect prepared such a ship.

The crowd began to grow in increments. In addition to the one hundred Qi Refining disciples and ten Foundation Establishment disciples, there were also some disciples manning the ship, as well as Xue Ren, who was responsible for arranging accommodations and transportation along the way.

And finally, Sect Leader Ji.

Lingxiao Sword sect wasn’t the only sect entering the Floating Island Secret Realm. The other top-ranked sects were also participating.

There was actually an unspoken competition going on between the ten sects. Each sect had the same number of allotted spaces, and the number of elixirs obtained by the disciples leaving the secret realm would be used to determine the new sect rankings.

Rank was not just about face, but also about territory.

Each major sect had its own territory and didn’t interfere with the others. There was nothing to fight about. What they were vying for was territory to recruit new disciples.

After all, only a steady stream of talented disciples could keep a sect alive. And generally speaking, the larger the territory, the greater the probability of encountering good seedlings.

Therefore, this was an extremely important matter. The higher the ranking, the larger the territory allocated to recruiting disciples. All of the sect leaders attached great importance to this, and nearly all of them were personally leading their contingents. Sect Leader Ji was no exception.

At half past chenshi, the crew began to count the number of people onboard. Once everyone was present, they would set off.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen were still standing under the ship. Fang Yang had already boarded, but Feng Ye had yet to leave.

Hao Chen accompanied him patiently for a while, but his patience gradually began to wane. The sun was becoming hotter and hotter. As a fish from the North Sea, he was afraid of heat rather than cold. This sun was making him a little restless. 

He couldn’t help but take out his fan and fan himself. After some time, he suddenly remembered to ask: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, where is your fan?”

Feng Ye was still holding the white jade bone porcelain fan in his hand yesterday. Thinking that it would be a waste not to use it, he would take it out from time to time and fan himself with it. But today, it was nowhere to be seen.

I was waiting for you to ask that! Feng Ye thought.

He hadn’t waited in vain. Feng Ye revealed the smirk he had been holding back for a long time: “It seems I forgot to tell you.”

Hao Chen stared blankly: “Tell me what?”

Feng Ye shook his head, donning a look of regret and distress: “I took the fan to trade it in. As for what I traded it for…..”

While they were talking, the people counting passengers were almost finished. But they discovered that there was one person missing, and shouted loudly: “Who else hasn’t boarded the ship? If you don’t board, we won’t wait for you!”

Feng Ye suddenly turned around and shouted back: “Coming right up!”

He ran up onto the large ship behind him and stood on the deck, waving at Hao Chen below: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen, I exchanged the fan for a spot in the Floating Island Secret Realm. I’ll be away for a few days. Don’t worry about me!”

Hao Chen: “……”

He finally understood all of Feng Ye’s abnormalities from yesterday through today.

It was a lie for Feng Ye to say he’d forgotten to tell him. This guy had clearly done it on purpose. He’d waited until the last minute to tell Hao Chen in order to catch him off guard and get rid of him.

Feng Ye saw the expression on Hao Chen’s face and knew that he understood everything. However, this didn’t mean that he’d successfully gotten rid of this sticky piece of candy. After all, it was difficult to say what the thick-skinned Hao Chen was capable of.

Perhaps he would shamelessly try to follow him. The probability of this was quite high.

But unexpectedly, Hao Chen remained standing under the boat and said goodbye to Feng Ye: “As it happens, I have some matters to attend to in my sect, so I’ll take this opportunity to go back and deal with them. Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, we’ll see each other again in a few days.”

After saying so, he turned and left without any regrets.

Just like that.

Feng Ye stared at Hao Chen’s back in surprise. He was ready to fight this sticky candy to the end, never expecting that the sticky candy would discover a conscience and leave.

Was it really this easy?

Hao Chen’s straightforward attitude made Feng Ye anxious. He kept feeling like things weren’t so simple.

But Hao Chen indeed left.

The huge ship heading to the Floating Island Secret Realm also set sail, flying into the sea of clouds.

After a day and a night of sailing, everyone finally arrived at the location of the Floating Island Secret Realm, above the North Sea.

There was a North Sea in heaven, as well as one in the mortal realm. But this North Sea was different from the heavenly one, where the sunlight was thin and living creatures rarely dared to tread.

The North Sea of the mortal realm was no different than any other. The water and sky were blue, and there was a cool and comfortable sea breeze.

The ship began to descend, and the obstructing clouds parted like curtains on a stage, dissipating before their eyes. At last, they got a glimpse of the magnificent scenery beneath that sea of clouds. 

Like the other disciples, Fang Yang looked in amazement from their low altitude above the sea. There were magic vessels of all sizes docked here, so many that the vast sea even looked a little crowded.

As the distance narrowed, a swell of voices eventually reached everyone’s ears.

Disciples from various factions and sects were gathered here to usher in the opening of the Floating Island Secret Realm.

This was a rare gathering. There were few events like this that could bring together people from all major sects. Thus, many people were chatting with friends from other sects, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time, and the atmosphere was quite lively.

Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ship found an open place to stop. Not long after, disciples from other sects came over to seek out their friends.

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye.” A familiar, haunting voice sounded behind Feng Ye.

With a feeling of resignation, Feng Ye turned around to find a smiling Hao Chen. He was really…..not surprised at all.

---

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Chapter 35 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 37

Under the dim light, neither of them could clearly make out the emotions on the other’s face.

“You want me to leave. Why?”

“His Highness Oser is the future emperor of the empire. If he doesn’t inherit the throne, power will fall into the Prime Minister’s hands sooner or later. He absolutely must not give up his inheritance rights just for you.”

“If His Highness doesn’t inherit the throne, there’s still his younger brother. You’re really looking down on the Fengdi family.”

“You’re talking about His Highness Disi? Don’t be naive. His Highness Disi has never appeared in public, and no one knows whether he’s dead or alive. Even if he does still live, how could he possibly stand up to the all-powerful Lu family?”

Ling Yi put the scissors back where they belonged.

“What if I don’t want to leave?”

“Are you concerned about your family? I will ask His Highness to protect them and send them to reunite with you when the opportunity arises.”

“You’ve thought this through very thoroughly. But why should I give up wealth and glory to go live a life of wandering and displacement?”

“Have you ever considered what would happen if Lu Hulun ever came into power? That there will be more victims like you and me in the future, and more people will be forced to live a life of exile?”

“What does that have to do with me?”

You Lin’s eyes filled with disbelief: “I refuse to believe you’re that kind of person.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m a selfish person.”

“You’re lying! How could a selfish person kill a member of the royal family for a brother who’s not even your flesh and blood?”

Ling Yi was silent for a moment: “I was just repaying his father for adopting me. A selfish person will occasionally have a change of heart, right?”

His performance disappointed You Lin.

“I lived for years in an unfamiliar foreign country. You can’t imagine how much hardship I have endured. The only belief that kept me alive was that I would return to my country to assist His Highness Oser and get revenge on the man who killed my family!”

“I really can’t imagine it. And I have even less desire to go through the same hardships you suffered.”

You Lin’s eyes were bloodshot: “How can you comprehend losing your loved ones and living a life filled with hatred?”

His increasing volume eventually drew the attention of Oser and Tang De, who were separated from them by a wall.

“What is this?” Oser spied the travel bag on the floor at a glance.

Ling Yi hesitated only half a second before throwing himself into Oser’s arms in front of everyone.

“This person suddenly came in to chase me away. I was so scared.”

He buried his head in Oser’s chest, and naturally didn’t see the expressions that appeared on the faces of Oser and Tang De at his words.

Especially Tang De, whose perception of Ling Yi was once again refreshed.

Oser subconsciously hugged him, only to find that Ling Yi was wearing his jacket.

“Have I been too lenient with you?” There was a hint of coldness in Oser’s attitude toward You Lin.

Before Oser could get angry, Tang De tried his best to push You Lin out.

“Leave it to me. Your Highness, please take good care of Ling Yi. I’ll educate this ignorant person for you.”

He then dragged You Lin out of the room, scolding him all the way.

“Don’t you want to live? I don’t even dare to take a deep breath in Ling Yi’s presence, but you actually went to his room in the middle of the night to persuade him to run away? Don’t you know that you almost crossed His Highness’s bottom line?”

You Lin spun around and accused: “You’ve been at His Highness’s side this entire time. Why didn’t you persuade him?”

“Persuade him about what, ah?” Tang De was baffled.

“About the power of pardon, of course! Don’t you know which is more important, an Omega or the throne?”

Tang De rolled his eyes and said helplessly: “The reason I didn’t tell you was because I was afraid you’d leak the information. Why can’t you believe in His Highness?” 

“I really do want to believe in him. But you saw that just now. I’m concerned that His Highness will be blinded by lust and neglect his duties for an Omega!”

Tang De started to say something, but looked back at the door warily and pushed You Lin a few steps away.

“Come here, and I’ll tell you.”

When they were a safe distance away, he whispered: “Have you only studied foreign law these years and forgotten the laws of your own country? Have you forgotten that the power of pardon is subject to revocable conditions?”

You Lin’s heart moved, and it was as if a ray of sunlight had shone into a dead-end alley. “You mean invalidating Ling Yi’s death sentence?”

Tang De expressed his approval with a look and handed him a document.

You Lin: “This is…..?”

“Your new identity, starting tomorrow. You will be an intern at the royal court, and your task is to collect all of the evidence in Ling Yi’s case. If the Prime Minister hadn’t headed this case, the sentence would have been at most excessive self-defense, not the death penalty.”

You Lin held the document in his hand, stunned: “Have I wronged His Highness again?”

The last time, he had questioned Oser for not saving Ling Yi.

“I’ve already told you to believe in His Highness. He is no longer a child.”

Tang De clenched his hand into a fist: “Whether it’s the throne or the Omega, he wants it all.”

After sending You Lin away, Tang De made his way exhaustedly to the lounge, in urgent need of relaxing.

He was surprised to find Pat there, browsing a shopping website on his cell phone.

“I didn’t realize you had the leisure to shop,” Tang De teased.

“I’m trying to choose an urn that suits me.” Pat showed him the page. “What do you think of this one?”

“A bit old-fashioned.”

“You’re right.” Pat angrily turned to the next page. “These urn manufacturers don’t consider the needs of young consumers at all.”

Tang De regained a small portion of his life force by smoking a cigarette.

“Maybe I should buy one just in case. Are there any discounts for bulk purchases?”

Pat said with a sad expression: “Don’t make fun of me, Captain Tang De.”

“I’m serious. Less than half a month ago, Ling Yi was a prisoner on death row, but now he can whisper in the Crown Prince’s ear. Even without this incident, he would have risen from an orphan to a military elite. Could our consort have ever been an ordinary person? If I make a mistake, I might be joining you.”

Pat was inexplicably nervous after hearing this: “I haven’t offended Ling Yi, have I?”

“Well, he did become an Omega because of your research.”

Pat was extremely alarmed.

“What are you afraid of? No one ever steps into the same grave twice.”

“Thank you, ah. I feel much better now.”

“Let’s talk about something light.” Tang De waved away the white smoke in front of him. “Want to bet on where His Highness will sleep tonight?”

Pat’s eyes widened: “Is he not following doctors’ orders?”

. . . . . . .

Oser comforted the “frightened” Ling Yi, and when he went to leave, he was embraced from behind.

“Please don’t leave, Your Highness.”

Ling Yi could now frankly admit that he was greedy for this scent. Rather than defending his face as an Alpha, he would rather follow his body’s instincts.

“I can’t sleep alone without you.”

However, Oser was not as free and easy as him: “Pat said I should keep my distance from you.”

“Forget Pat. He even said my pheromones could only match yours.” Ling Yi said dejectedly.

The balance in Oser’s heart fluctuated for only 0.01 seconds before it tilted toward Ling Yi.

Of course, it was also due to Ling Yi’s following words: “The new bed is very soft. Doesn’t Your Highness want to lay down and try it?”

Ling Yi dropped the uniform jacket he was wearing on the floor and stepped on it.

No matter how good a comfort object was, it wasn’t as effective as the person himself.

The new bed was indeed very soft. Oser came to this conclusion through personal experience.

Ling Yi lay obediently in Oser’s arms, his index finger drawing restless circles on the other’s chest.

“Does what Your Highness said at the courthouse gate still stand?”

“What did I say?”

“That you’d let me choose where my monument would be erected. I’ve chosen the place: directly in front of the Prime Minister’s office.”

Oser was amused: “Why there?”

“The people out there don’t know I’m still alive. I think Your Highness’s previous suggestion is a good idea, to let everyone think I died at the hands of Lu Hulun. Even if I can’t bring him down, I’ll make him suffer.”

“You hate him so much?”

Ling Yi replied nonchalantly: “I hate him to the bone.”

These six words lacked any weight. Oser scratched the bridge of his nose.

“I did promise back then, but it doesn’t count anymore.”

Ling Yi turned over and pressed Oser down: “Why not?”

“Only the dead can have such a monument erected. It’s unlucky to create one for the living.”

Ling Yi’s lips curved: “Your Highness is a highly educated person. How can you still have such superstitious beliefs?”

“You said the same thing once before.”

“I did?”

“Before you went into the operating room.”

He seemed to have some impression of it.

Oser stroked his hair: “You know I want you to get well soon. I’ll take you out to show you off and enrage that old man.”

Ling Yi’s response was more direct – a passionate kiss. “Having a secret lover is much more exciting. This might be your only chance to experience it in this life. Won’t you consider it?”

Oser looked at Ling Yi with blazing eyes: “Your seduction skills are even more impeccable than when you were an Alpha.”

Ling Yi licked the corner of his mouth: “It’s human nature to be lazy. As long as this method still works, I’ll use it again and again.”

“Then I promise you,” Oser said, “From now on, as long as it’s you, this method will always work. You hate my grandfather. I’ll help you get rid of him. One life for another.”

“Whose life is being exchanged?”

Oser gently touched his belly: “You’ll conceive a tiny life for me.”

Ling Yi: “……”

. . . . . . .

As Tang De reported to Oser in the room next to Ling Yi’s, he stole a glance at the bed.

It was the same as it had been when he left last night, with no sign of anyone having slept there.

He feigned ignorance: “You Lin reported to court early this morning.”

Oser lowered his head to peruse the documents: “We should have sent him away earlier. Keeping him here just stirred up more trouble.”

“By the way, I went to the detention center to retrieve Ling Yi’s phone.”

Although he had agreed to get the phone for Ling Yi, he would never dare give it to him without permission.

Oser stopped reading: “He asked you for it?”

“That’s not the case. I think he’s rather bored in the ward, and he needs to be given something to do. Young people these days just love to play on their phones.”

Tang De shook the phone: “It won’t turn on right now. I don’t know if it’s broken or the battery is drained, but I’ll give it to him after I fix it.”

Oser gave a light “hm” and didn’t object.

“Don’t let the news that Ling Yi is alive leak out yet. Keep pressure on the old man through public opinion and insist that he was the one burned to death in the vehicle.”

“Aren’t you planning to announce to the public that he’s still alive and initiate a retrial of the case?”

“Little Weed begged me sincerely, and it was difficult to refuse. Let’s find a random place near the old man’s home and erect a monument for him. In any case, there’s no rush for a retrial.”

Based on Tang De’s understanding of Oser, he was not someone who would easily change his plans.

He became vigilant: “Your Highness, your original plan hasn’t changed, has it?”

“What do you mean?”

“First overturn Ling Yi’s verdict, then retract the pardon.” He asked cautiously, “The unexpected results of the surgery won’t affect the plan?”

Oser heard the hidden meaning in his words and tossed down his pen with a sneer: “What unexpected results? The non-uniqueness of Ling Yi’s pheromone matches? Even if Ling Yi regains his freedom, who else can he choose aside from the wealthy, prestigious, legitimate Crown Prince and top-tier Alpha who’s a perfect match for him?”

Tang De put on a smile, but it was a stiff one: “Your Highness is right. I shouldn’t worry. I’ll go carry out the tasks you’ve assigned to me.”

“Get back here!”

Tang De was still standing there, unmoving.

“Forget about erecting a monument, it’s too unlucky. An altar is easier to tear down.”

Tang De agreed, but was called back again before he could reach the door.

“Don’t write his name correctly. Omit one or two strokes.”

“…..Understood.”

After Tang De left, Oser took Ling Yi’s medical report out of a drawer and looked through the list for the nth time.

This list was like a top student’s report card. The examiners had tried their best, but could only deduct a few points. 

Every name seemed irritating aside from his own, and he wished he could assassinate them all in order.

Oser’s gaze was distant. After a moment, he threw the report back into the drawer.

Assassinations cost too much. He would think of something else.

---

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Chapter 20 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 22

Pat paced around the office anxiously with the printed report in his hands.

He didn’t know how much time Tang De could buy for him, or whether it would be enough for him to go to Lan Ze and discuss whether to tamper with the data.

Just as he was about to exit the office, he was taken by surprise as Oser stepped in toward him. He backed away, and the report scattered all over the floor.

“Y-your Highness Oser, good morning, ah. You came so quickly, haha…..” Pat laughed dryly.

His gaze drifted toward Tang De not far behind Oser, and the man sent him a helpless gesture.

Oser’s gaze dropped toward the floor, and Pat bent down to clean up: “I was just about to report to you that the medical college’s equipment seems to be broken. There’s something wrong with the test data. Don’t bother looking at all this, it’s just scrap paper.”

The toe of a shiny shoe stepped on the scattered papers, and Pat’s outstretched hand froze mid-air.

Oser turned his head slightly, giving Tang De a clear signal, and then took a step back.

The report was quickly picked up and sorted out, and Tang De handed it to Oser.

The first half was an analysis of the composition of Ling Yi’s pheromones, filled with chemical formulas and professional terminology. Oser glanced at it and tossed it aside.

The second half matched Ling Yi’s pheromones to the other unpaired Alphas in the medical college’s records. Generally, a matching rate of over 60% was considered qualified, 70% was a recommended match, 80% was an excellent match, and 90% was commonly known as ‘the chosen one.’

In first place, of course, was Fengdi Oser himself, who topped the list with a 100% matching rate, surpassing Group A.

He was followed closely by his half-brother Fengdi Disi, with a matching rate of 99.65%.

But anyone who had a blood relationship with Oser, even if they were from a marginal royal family, all had an astonishing matching rate with Ling Yi. Even his uncle Lu Dawa, whom Ling Yi had killed himself, had a glaring 91.20% after his name.

Oser knew most of the people at the top, but those farther down were more and more unfamiliar. After turning over an entire page of Chosen Ones, there were actually four pages of excellent pairings.

But Oser knew that only a tiny fraction of the empire’s population could leave physical records at the Royal Medical College. Most were members of the royal family or patients with rare diseases worthy of research.

There were occasional exceptions, such as one name Oser spotted amongst the group of nobles: Xi Lei, at 87.77%. He had undergone biological sampling due to his injuries, and was also included in the statistics.

Tang De stood slightly behind Oser, doing his best to suppress his curiosity and not lean in for a look. Gradually, his eyes seemed to become glued to it, and his expression grew increasingly astonished.

The most nervous person in the room was Pat: “Ling Yi’s new pheromones turned out exactly as expected. Whether in the surgical simulations or the actual operation, there were no errors at all…..Junior Lan Ze can also vouch for this!”

After each sentence, he would steal a glance at Oser’s reaction.

“As for why the results are like this……don’t even mention analyzing the cause, I’ve never seen this before in all my years in medicine. It seems that not only does he match your pheromones, he reacts chemically with all Alpha pheromones.”

Oser: “You mean, he’s the only one who matches me, and I’m only one percent of who he matches with?”

Pat: “Strictly speaking, it’s 0.00000…..1%”

Oser smiled.

Pat’s heart sank when he saw this smile that didn’t reach his eyes. The Crown Prince Oser he was familiar with had returned.

“You really didn’t let me down by handing me such a ‘high scoring’ paper. Neither the position of Vice President nor the Royal Medical Award do you justice. You should be promoted to President — no, only President of the Medical Association is worthy of you.”

“Y-y-y-y-your Highness, listen to my excuses…..no, listen to my explanation!”

Pat’s talking speed was proportional to his desire to survive: “A single Alpha mark lasts for thirty days before fading, and an Omega needs three months to entirely metabolize the Alpha pheromones. In essence, you only need to mark Ling Yi once per month to ensure that he always has your mark on him!”

“There are a lot of people on this list, but few of them have the ability or courage to cover your mark. As long as you keep marking him, what’s the difference between Ling Yi and an Omega exclusive to you?”

Oser tilted his head: “Is that so?”

Tang De asked himself the same thing as Pat nodded like a woodpecker, and the answer he came up with was ‘yes.’ 

Pat’s words were just common sense, but common sense was just cold knowledge to Oser.

“Doctor Pat, please take a look at today’s physical examination report—” Luo Li pushed open the door and walked inside. “So many people, ah.”

Oser: “How is Ling Yi?”

“There are no serious problems, but his body temperature is rising instead of lowering. Why can’t he get rid of his heat fever?” Luo Li asked himself.

“What happens if it doesn’t go down?” Oser asked.

“Um, he’ll be in a constant state of agitation and tend to stick to his Alpha. The chances of pregnancy will greatly increase, and…..”

Pat wanted to shut his mouth. Why did this Luo Li always say the things His Highness wanted to hear?

He took over the topic: “It’s also easy for him to overdraw his physical strength and become mentally exhausted, which is not conducive to recuperation. These are all disadvantages of a long-term heat period.”

“And?”

“You haven’t been trained to control your pheromones, and if you continue remaining close to him, he’ll likely stay like this. You and he are 100% compatible. Any mood fluctuations on your part will affect his hormone levels, so Your Highness would do well to rein in your emotions. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Oser: “Nope.”

Pat: “…….”

. . . . . 

Ling Yi watched Oser’s guards come in and out, replacing all of the furniture and furnishings.

“Is this necessary?” Seeing the grandeur of the ward after the renovation, Ling Yi felt very much like a nouveau riche who didn’t know how to spend his money.

Tang De was hanging up Oser’s clothing one by one in the closet: “His Highness was worried that you might find this place too simple and crude, and wants you to live more comfortably. These are all clothes His Highness has worn – he said you can wear them if you want.”

Ling Yi rolled his eyes behind Tang De’s back.

“His Highness is truly wasting talent, making the captain of the guard handle such trivial matters.”

Tang De closed the closet door and turned around: “That’s not true. When it comes to you, nothing is trivial. If you need anything, you can tell me directly.”

“Then…..I want to go see my adoptive father.”

“Okay, no problem.” Tang De easily acquiesced. “I’ll take you there.”

When Xi Lei saw Ling Yi coming, he got a bad feeling.

“What are you doing here?”

“I haven’t seen Uncle Xi En in ages. I came to see how he’s doing.”

He turned his back to Tang De and gave Xi Lei a signal.

When Xi Lei understood, his face darkened and he moved closer reluctantly, standing side by side with him outside the intensive care unit as they visited Xi En through the glass.

“Dad is fine. You don’t need to worry about him.”

Ling Yi crossed his arms and felt a pill being pressed into his palm.

“What’s it to you if I’m worried?”

He then lowered his voice and said: “Three of them.”

Xi Lei’s expression reflected in the glass grew even worse: “You must understand that he’s my father, not yours. If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t be like this.”

Then, in the same low voice, he said: “One pill at a time!”

“Do you think I wanted Uncle Xi En to end up like this? If you have the guts, go find the culprit and settle the score. Why get angry at me?”

He turned his face slightly: “Three.”

Xi Lei practically gnashed his teeth as he said: “Don’t worry, I’ll settle this account sooner or later!”

“One pill!”

Tang De couldn’t help but laugh, feeling helpless.

“All right, stop arguing. The relationship between you two brothers is truly unfathomable.”

“Who’s his brother?” Ling Yi turned his head away in disdain and quickly swallowed the medicine while Tang De wasn’t looking.

“Exactly!” Xi Lei also turned his head away angrily.

Having solved his urgent problem, and hearing that Oser had to “follow the doctor’s orders” and keep his distance from him, Ling Yi’s happiness doubled.

When he returned to the ward, he saw guards coming out of the next room.

He sent Tang De an inquisitive look.

“Oh, I asked them to renovate the ward next door as well, so that His Highness can work and rest nearby. And he can get to you quickly if any special circumstances pop up.”

Ling Yi was speechless: “So this so-called “keeping his distance” means keeping a distance of one wall between us?”

Tang De smiled and answered: “This is the furthest distance His Highness is willing to maintain.”

As the two were conversing, a guard with a very familiar face turned around.

Although Ling Yi had only met You Lin once, his experience of being persecuted by Lu Hulun to the extent that his entire family was destroyed caused Ling Yi to feel some sympathy toward him.

But the way he was looking at Ling Yi right now was the complete opposite.

“Omega pheromones, as expected…..is this the reason you stayed?” he said in a questioning tone.

These words weren’t very pleasant to the ear. Tang De was about to warn him to be polite, but Ling Yi admitted without hesitation: “That’s right. Everyone has their own methods of survival.”

“Your method of survival is to persuade His Highness to exercise his power of pardon for you and give up the throne?”

“What else could I do? Become a hunted criminal and live in hiding for the rest of my life?”

Tang De noticed that the atmosphere wasn’t right and immediately flashed between them, blocking their view of each other.

“Don’t forget that you were smuggled back into the country and His Highness arranged for you to pretend to be a guard. How about you keep a low profile?” he whispered.

You Lin glanced across Tang De to give Ling Yi a deep look, then turned and left without another word.

Tang De comforted Ling Yi: “Don’t worry, his experience is rather unique, and he’s inevitably a little radical sometimes.”

“I understand. His Highness Oser told me that I was almost his successor.”

“You won’t be,” Tang De blurted out. “His Highness was still young when the You family was in trouble. His Highness has regretted for many years that he was unable to save his family. But His Highness has accumulated sufficient experience now, and possesses the ability to stand up to the Prime Minister. He will never allow the tragedy that befell You Lin to happen to you.”

Ling Yi seemed to have discovered a new world: “Can I understand this to mean that whether or not I asked him for help, he wouldn’t have let them die? Not only would I not die, but my entire family would have been able to escape Lu Hulun’s pursuit safely?”

Tang De was terrified: “I never said that!”

“So making myself an Omega was completely unnecessary?”

“…..Please don’t tell His Highness I said that. Please!”

Ling Yi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “What can I do? Even if I don’t say anything when I’m awake, I can’t control what I say in my sleep. It would be fine if there was no one beside me, but if there is someone…..”

Tang De forced a smile and said: “Is there anything you want to do, or anything you need? As long as I can help, I’ll do my best.”

“Let me think about it.” Ling Yi pretended to ponder for a moment: “The ward is so boring, ah. If there was something to distract my attention, I wouldn’t be thinking about it all the time. Unfortunately, all of my belongings, including my cell phone, were confiscated when I was arrested.”

“No problem,” Tang De assured, patting his chest. “I’ll take care of it.”

Tang De invited Ling Yi into the room with great trepidation, and slapped his head in regret. He really had figured out a lot of things.

“Now I know how His Highness Oser fell into this trap.”

. . . . . . .

That night, Ling Yi finally had the peace and quiet he had been yearning for, but he tossed and turned on the bed, unable to fall asleep.

The new bed must be too soft. After sleeping in a military academy dormitory and then a dungeon, his body couldn’t adapt to this level of indulgence.

He climbed out of bed in a daze, instinctively walked to the closet, and sucked in a deep breath.

A faint, pleasant pheromone scent met his nose, and his irritable mood immediately calmed.

After enjoying the afterglow of the moment and realizing what he had done, Ling Yi quickly closed the closet door.

“Are you crazy?” he asked himself. During the day, he had been genuinely disgusted with Oser leaving his clothes here.

But after standing there for a few seconds, he opened the door again and grabbed something at random.

“Fuck it, whatever.”

Ling Yi prided himself on adaptability being one of his strengths, and would never wrong himself if the opportunity permitted.

It didn’t even matter that he had made himself an Omega. Only an idiot would regret something that had already happened.

There was a faint sound at the door, and Ling Yi immediately snapped to alertness from his semi-conscious state. He found a set of medical scissors and hid behind the door.

The uninvited guest pushed open the door and walked in, finding the huge bed empty.

Just as he was feeling confused, something sharp pressed against his back.

“Who are you?”

You Lin slowly turned around and came face to face with Ling Yi.

“So it’s you.” Ling Yi glanced at the travel bag in his hand. “Are you here to assassinate me too?”

You Lin’s grip loosened, and the travel bag fell to the floor.

“Put on my uniform and pretend to be a guard. No one will stop you. The bag contains your ID, plane tickets, and various notes I’ve made. It will be enough for you to survive abroad.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want you to leave here. Now.”

---

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Chapter 19 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 21

Chapter 35 – Leverage

If Administrator Zhang knew something, it could be said that the entire sect knew it. He was Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ultimate gossip-monger.

This time, the news he received from Fang Yang was told to others less than an eighth of a shichen after he said goodbye to him.

One person told ten people, and ten people told a hundred. Gossip always spreads faster than any urgent military intelligence.

But this time there weren’t as many lively onlookers or discussions, because everyone had more important things to focus on.

The day before had been the competition for the Qi Refining disciples. One hundred spots had been confirmed, but there were still ten places for Foundation Establishment disciples that had yet to be assigned. These ten places would be decided through today’s Foundation Establishment competition.

This competition was held in the same arena, and the onlookers were no fewer than the previous day. Most of those watching yesterday had been Qi Refining disciples, because the inner sect Foundation Establishment disciples were somewhat disdainful of it and declined to attend.

But today, regardless of cultivation level, everyone who was free formed a dense crowd around the arena.

A simple martial arts competition shouldn’t have been such a big deal. The culprit for this crowded scene was the sect leader’s renowned second disciple – Cao Zirui.

Since the day Cao Zirui entered the sect, he had been wreathed in a nearly blinding halo. He had a one-in-a-million top-grade single spiritual root, and it was a miracle that he could reach Foundation Establishment within a year.

He was only 1.7 meters tall, but people looked at him as if he was standing atop a platform, gazing up at this legendary genius. 

However, although he was a genius, nobody knew his true strength.

As the sect leader’s direct disciple, he never practiced swordplay or cultivated with the other disciples. And he was a solitary person by nature. It was difficult for him to warm up to people when approached, much less when he was kept apart in such a way.

Apart from his master and Elder Zhou, he basically didn’t have any friends he could talk to in Lingxiao Sword Sect, and nobody had seen him in action. 

But the more this was the case, the more curious everyone else became. They were curious as to whether this genius was really as they imagined, a natural-born prodigy who left everyone in the dust, so far ahead that they couldn’t even see his back.

Today was a good opportunity. Cao Zirui would be participating in this competition, so everyone could take this chance to observe and learn.

The competition started on time at chenshi, and Sect Leader Ji took his seat on the viewing platform slightly before it began. As for Elder Zhou, who was supposed to have come with him, he was unable to watch the competition due to some urgent matters that had come up.

The Foundation Establishment tournament was different from the Qi Refining one – the mere fact that these disciples had reached Foundation Establishment was already a demonstration of their strength and talent.

Compared to the large amount of people at Qi Refining stage, which was a mixed bag of talent, Sect Leader Ji attached more importance to today’s competition. After all, his treasured young disciple would also be participating – in the first round, even – so he couldn’t be late.

As for his not-so-treasured eldest disciple, Xue Ren had learned his lesson the previous day and forwent diligently serving tea and water. Instead, he stood quietly beside Sect Leader Ji and awaited instructions.

However, this did not win him praise. Compared to the endless praise he gave Cao Zirui, when it came to Xue Ren, the sect leader treated praise like gold and rarely handed it out.

At the referee’s command, the competition officially began. 

Standing in the ring, Cao Zirui attracted the attention of the entire audience. With him present, all of the other contestants were mere supporting roles.

The mood of Cao Zirui’s opponent was the same as that of the junior disciple named Zhou Liang, who had been matched against Fang Yang the day before. There were no other words in his mind besides “bad luck,” and he was entirely lacking in fighting spirit.

Ten moves. He didn’t even last ten moves against Cao Zirui. His sword was sent flying, and he met defeat.

Everyone: “…..”

Was that all?

The audience, which had been eagerly awaiting an incredible fight, were surprisingly unanimous in opinion. There were no dazzling magic spells or impressive sword moves, and Cao Zirui had defeated his opponent without using any spiritual power.

This was different from what was agreed, ah! The show was no good, they wanted a refund!

Even though they hadn’t bought tickets, and wouldn’t get a refund even if they had.

They were all unresigned, and waited to watch the next match. The next opponent was better, and lasted for twenty moves, but his sword was also knocked away by Cao Zirui.

The crisp sound of the sword hitting the ground echoed in everyone’s hearts.

No, was it that easy to win?

They hadn’t even seen what happened, ah!

But Cao Zirui, the star of the show, couldn’t hear their heartfelt wishes at all. And even if he did, he wouldn’t care. He continued to do things his own way and maintained his efficient attack style all the way to the finals.

The final opponent was a powerful fellow disciple in the late Foundation Establishment stage, named Wu Kai. Cao Zirui had only been cultivating for a year, and although he was also at Foundation Establishment, he was in the initial stages at best.

His opponent was two levels higher than him, a situation that was extremely unfavorable for Cao Zirui.

There was no sign of worry on Cao Zirui’s face, which surprised nobody. They would be surprised if there was any expression at all on that icy face.

This time, Cao Zirui seemed to be facing a tough fight. He fought his opponent for a hundred rounds without either of them winning.

This fellow disciple named Wu Kai, who was in the late stage of Foundation Building, didn’t hold back in the least. He possessed spiritual roots of gold, fire and earth. When he drew his sword, he infused it with gold spiritual power, making the blade much sharper than an ordinary iron sword.

The instant the blade flashed out, the strong gust it created brought with it a wave of scorching heat that distorted the air. 

However, this heat wave turned into a plume of white mist when it met Cao Zirui’s sword.

Cao Zirui had a single water spiritual root. Water and fire were incompatible, and it had always been the case that the stronger one would subdue the other. Moreover, the spiritual power of a person with three spiritual roots was far inferior to that of Cao Zirui’s one spiritual root.

Wu Kai’s one advantage was that his cultivation was higher, which allowed him to maintain the current balance without showing signs of defeat for the time being.

But this was only temporary. He knew that if he continued to drag it out like this, he would lose.

Cao Zirui had been taught by Sect Leader Ji himself, and his sword skills were so advanced that he was far ahead of his fellow disciples who had to learn everything on their own.

Since the first match, Cao Zirui had never actually used his full strength. Nobody knew what was on his mind, but he didn’t use spiritual power if he could avoid it, and didn’t use any spells.

If not for this, the competition would have already ended.

Although it was unknown if Cao Zirui was doing this out of underestimation for his opponent or for other purposes, Wu Kai was holding back his anger. Was this high and mighty disciple of Sect Leader Ji really that good? Were ordinary disciples like them destined to be trampled under Cao Zirui’s feet for the rest of their lives?

He had to win at least once!

With his sword in his right hand, he made hand gestures with his left hand hidden in his sleeve.

He had used both of his gold and fire attributes, but had not used his earth-based spiritual power thus far. 

This was the moment he had been waiting for!

A section of the stone ring suddenly turned into a soft, muddy swamp directly where Cao Zirui was about to step. He didn’t seem to notice.

As long as Cao Zirui steps into the quagmire, I can take advantage of this opportunity to win! Wu Kai thought excitedly.

However, when Cao Zirui stepped into the quagmire as expected, he showed no signs of sinking or tripping.

Only then did Wu Kai discover that a thin layer of ice had formed over the ground, and that Cao Zirui had not stepped into the swamp created by his magic spell, but onto the ice.

“Seven.” Wu Kai was so shocked that he didn’t even have time to react when Cao Zirui spoke a number.

He swung his sword horizontally, forcing Wu Kai to take a large step back.

“Six.” The second slash came a moment later, faster and more powerful than the previous one. Wu Kai hurriedly raised his sword and was barely able to parry it.

“Five.”

“Four.”

Each of Cao Zirui’s attacks was faster and more powerful than the previous one.

He was imitating the Seven Strike Takedown Feng Ye had displayed yesterday, which had ultimately sealed his victory.

It was a pity that when Cao Zirui got to “three,” Wu Kai’s wrist was numbed by the powerful, unrelenting force, and the hilt of his sword slipped out of his hand.

The winner was decided. Cao Zirui sheathed his sword and put his hands behind his back.

It came as no surprise that he was the champion. Sect Leader Ji on the viewing stand was filled with joy, but Cao Zirui’s face showed none.

Instead, he was frowning slightly.

It didn’t work, he thought to himself. In fact, when he got to “three,” even if Wu Kai’s sword hadn’t fallen out of his hand, Cao Zirui wouldn’t have been able to perform the last two strikes.

The key to these seven strikes was that each one must be stronger and faster than the previous strike, so as not to give the opponent time to accumulate strength and counterattack.

But there was always a limit to human strength and speed. Distributing the power and speed of each strike sounded easy, but was actually difficult to implement.

Too light, and it would be unable to stop the opponent. Too heavy, and it would be like when Cao Zirui reached the number “three” and couldn’t go on.

In the battle yesterday, Feng Ye hadn’t used any fancy or flowery sword techniques. He simply regulated each of his sword strikes with an almost terrifying level of control.

Cao Zirui stood in awe of such control. And today, he attempted to accomplish it himself. However, although he tried to hit the same spot with every strike, he was unable to succeed more than thrice. The opponent’s sudden changes in sword trajectory disrupted his precision.

He had tried to use the Seven Strike Takedown, but failed.

Perhaps, leaving aside my cultivation and spiritual root, I’m far inferior to that junior disciple at the third level of Qi Refining, Cao Zirui thought absentmindedly.

“Zirui, well done!” Sect Leader Ji’s smiling voice finally brought back Cao Zirui’s wandering soul.

Only then did he return to his senses. He walked from the ring to the viewing platform, stood in front of his master, and saluted.

Sect Leader Ji looked upon Cao Zirui with satisfaction and gratification, thinking that his young disciple was perfect in every way. He had great talent, cultivated diligently, and was neither arrogant or impatient. His only drawback was his expressionless face, but such a minor flaw could be ignored.

It likely wouldn’t take many years for Cao Zirui to reach Nascent Soul, and then Sect Leader Ji could step down from the burden of his position and hand Lingxiao Sword Sect over to him.

Just like when Shifu handed Lingxiao Sword Sect to Shixiong…..

Ling Yun had failed at the responsibility their master had entrusted him with. He committed a heinous crime, angered the gods, and caused Lingxiao Sword Sect to suffer heavy losses. A large number of elite disciples had died in that nightmare.

And before they could recover from that fire that burned the world, they also faced accusations of shirking their responsibility by other sects.

Under such pressure, as one of the only remaining Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect, Ji Chengyue was forced to succeed the position of sect leader, where he served for one hundred years.

But he knew that his abilities were limited. Although he was at Nascent Soul stage, among Nascent Soul cultivators, his strength was at most average.

Therefore, under his leadership, Lingxiao Sword Sect hadn’t shown any signs of rising. He gave it his all, but could just barely manage to keep the sect from falling completely out of the top ten sects in the world.

He could never truly become a powerhouse that shocked the world like his shixiong, nor could he lead Lingxiao Sword Sect to its true pinnacle.

He could only hope that the next generation would be able to accomplish what he couldn’t. He placed that hope on Cao Zirui.

With these thoughts in mind, he couldn’t help but say aloud: “Zirui, ah, one year ago, you were still a boy who couldn’t use a sword. But in the blink of an eye, you’re an independent swordsman. It probably won’t take long before the thousand steps and one hundred checkpoints pose no problem at all for you.”

Half-joking, he expressed his great expectations for Cao Zirui.

Cao Zirui’s reaction was mild. He completely missed the point of the last sentence, which basically pointed out that he would be the next sect leader.

But Xue Ren was different. He had always been intelligent, and would think deeply on words that had no special meaning, let alone such obvious hints.

His master was biased to such an extent?! Even the sect leader position was to be given to him?!

Why?!

Why Cao Zirui?!

Xue Ren’s jealousy at this moment was like the rising tide of a river. Unable to hold it back any longer, it burst free.

He looked at Cao Zirui with a dark expression, nearly overwhelmed by the resentment he had accumulated over these days. He almost wanted to step forward and loudly question his master’s injustice.

He was obviously a direct disciple of their master too. Why was the sect leader so harsh to him, not even sparing him a kind look?

And as for Cao Zirui, their master gave him nearly everything he could, including praise and the Lingxiao swordsmanship, and now he was even going to give him the sect leader position!

Xue Ren clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His remaining sanity prevented him from taking action.

Going on like this wouldn’t get him what he wanted…..no! What he deserved!

What Lingxiao swordsmanship? It was the position of sect leader that should be his!

It’s Cao Zirui who showed up at the last moment and snatched it from me! Xue Ren thought with gritted teeth.

He did his utmost to remain calm and not reveal any abnormalities in front of his master. But his uncontrollable anger still revealed itself somewhat in his gloomy eyes.

Fortunately, the entirety of Sect Leader Ji’s attention was on Cao Zirui, so he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

The competition was over at last, and Sect Leader Ji announced the winner. After he said a few more words to encourage the other disciples to follow Cao Zirui’s example, everyone dispersed.

“Zirui, come with me to Cloud-Step Hall. There is still room for improvement in some of your moves today,” said Sect Leader Ji.

“Yes,” Cao Zirui replied with a bow.

“Shifu, I’ll leave first.” Xue Ren suddenly said farewell.

As if he had just remembered something, the sect leader turned around to glance at his eldest disciple, whom he had completely forgotten about. He gave Xue Ren a nod.

Then, without looking back, he left with Cao Zirui.

Xue Ren bowed toward their receding backs. Once the two of them were far enough away, he abruptly shook his sleeves as if to vent his anger, shattering the stone bricks within a three-foot radius.

This still failed to slake his hatred. As long as Cao Zirui appeared before him, the fury in his heart would not subside.

He had no affection for his fellow junior disciple. Cao Zirui had only joined the year before, and he had already reached Foundation Establishment stage. Xue Ren had been away from the sect for most of the year, so it could be said that he’d only met Cao Zirui a few times.

His fellow junior disciple was a natural-born iceberg. He couldn’t string many sentences together, and had never shown any respect to his shixiong. It would be strange if Xue Ren did have any feelings toward him.

No, it couldn’t be said that he had no feelings. 

After all, hatred was an emotion. His hatred for Cao Zirui was as deep as the sea. He wished he could cut him to pieces and make Cao Zirui return everything he had taken from him.

It was just that…..

He couldn’t do anything to Cao Zirui himself.

No matter how talented Cao Zirui was, he had only just reached Foundation Establishment. Compared to Xue Ren, who was already in the middle stage of Golden Core, he could be crushed to death with the flick of a finger.

However, if he left any traces behind after doing the deed, and his master found out…..

The results would not be what he wanted.

His master practically cradled Cao Zirui in his heart. If anything happened to his precious little disciple, he would definitely get to the bottom of it.

Therefore, he must never lift a hand himself.

But who could he turn to?

This matter must never be spread outside, and if something happened, that person must never implicate Xue Ren.

Unlike the unpopular Cao Zirui, Xue Ren had a very good reputation in the sect, and there were quite a few people who could be considered his friends.

But these friends were of no help at the moment, and Xue Ren couldn’t rest assured at all. If even a hint of news about what he intended to do leaked out, he would be doomed.

He had to find someone he could trust completely, but who would be able to fit that description…..?

Xue Ren was walking with his head down, his mind full of thoughts. He wasn’t paying attention to whether there was anyone in front of him.

“Aiyo!” Someone suddenly shouted.

Xue Ren was already in a bad mood, and to make matters worse, some unscrupulous person had just bumped into him.

Just as Xue Ren was about to lose his temper, he saw the junior disciple who had been knocked to the ground quickly get to his feet and apologize.

“I’m sorry, pardon me.”

Xue Ren was about to vent his anger, but suddenly stopped. Not because of the apology, but because…..he vaguely felt that this person looked familiar.

Where had he seen this person before?

He narrowed his eyes at the other person. He didn’t know if this junior disciple was afraid of his gloomy expression, but after giving his apology, he rushed off.

Xue Ren had no solutions for the moment, and continued onward with some doubts.

He reminisced as he walked, feeling that he had overlooked something very crucial.

He went over all of the minor details that had happened these past two days, gradually stringing those unrelated fragments together.

The collision…..the yellow flowers falling out…..Blazing Sun Flowers…..poison!

Xue Ren swung his head toward the direction that person had just left. He finally remembered who he was. Wasn’t he Lu Chengye, the champion of yesterday’s Qi Refining competition? Although he’d been defeated by another junior disciple who appeared at the last moment, Lu Chengye was still the nominal champion.

Lu Chengye was also the person who’d bumped into him at the corner yesterday morning, and when they collided, yellow flowers had fallen out of the other man’s clothes.

Xue Ren hadn’t paid attention to Lu Chengye’s guilty, panicked expression at the time, but now that he was thinking about it, he recalled it very clearly.

The unlucky person Administrator Zhang mentioned who’d accidentally eaten the Blazing Sun Flower had most likely been targeted by Lu Chengye. His purpose was naturally to eliminate his most capable competitor.

Unexpectedly, Xue Ren had accidentally discovered a case of poisoning.

He normally wouldn’t even bother with this sort of thing.

But this incident gave him inspiration, and he finally realized what kind of person he could put his complete trust in. 

Naturally, it was someone he had leverage on.

Gazing after Lu Chengye’s back, a malicious smile appeared at the corners of Xue Ren’s mouth.

---

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Chapter 34 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 36

Chapter 34 – Confrontation

“Shixiong, Hao-dage, go to bed early.” Fang Yang said his farewells to Feng Ye and Hao Chen when they reached the dormitories.

Feng Ye nodded. “Good night,” he said.

Hao Chen followed suit: “Good night.”

With that, Fang Yang turned toward his residence and went back to sleep.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen remained standing there. Although they also lived in the same area, their rooms were in different directions, one to the left and one to the right.

It was getting late, and all beings were asleep aside from the bats. They should have parted ways at this point, but neither of them intended to be the first to leave.

Feng Ye folded his arms and waited silently for a while. Seeing as Hao Chen still didn’t speak, he could only take the initiative to prompt: “If Fellow Daoist Hao Chen has something to say, he might as well say it now.”

Hao Chen’s eyes glittered. He looked at Feng Ye as if he wanted to say something, but stopped. It was unknown what he was holding back, and Feng Ye sent him a puzzled look.

Hao Chen was slightly taken aback by his words, and his lips curved into a smile: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye understands me the best.”

Leveling him with a steady look, Feng Ye proceeded to say bluntly: “No, I don’t understand you.”

He didn’t even know who Hao Chen was, and also didn’t understand why he was following him around.

Hao Chen raised his eyebrows: “Why? Am I difficult to understand?”

He shook his head as he spoke, with a hint of sadness at not being understood: “Am I not easier to understand than that two-faced shixiong of yours? After all, my deep affection for Fellow Daoist Feng Ye comes from the bottom of my heart. I haven’t concealed anything.”

Feng Ye had noticed Xue Ren’s change of expression, and so had Hao Chen. Among the three of them, only Fang Yang was completely unaware.

“I turn my heart to the bright moon, but it only shines upon a ditch.”^[1] Hao Chen grew increasingly sorrowful as he spoke, and even recited a poem.

Feng Ye: “……”

He had only spoken one sentence, but Hao Chen said so much in response without getting to the point at all.

Seeing that Hao Chen was addicted to poetry recitation and was about to say a couple more lines, Feng Ye turned and left.

Hao Chen was forced to break off his poem: “Where is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye going?”

Feng Ye said without even turning his head: “This ditch is going to bed.”

Hao Chen: “……”

After a moment of silence, he quickly caught up with Feng Ye and kept pace with him, saying: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, don’t be in such a hurry to leave.”

Feng Ye had no intention of slowing down, because he knew that if he didn’t do this, Hao Chen would never get to the point.

Sure enough, this strategy of retreating in order to advance was successful. Hao Chen finally got to the point and repeated his previous words: “Does Fellow Daoist Feng Ye require a little…..assistance?”

Although he couldn’t openly show off his wealth, Hao Chen couldn’t help but reveal a hint of his hidden riches. If Feng Ye could lower his head and beg him, that would be the best. 

Feng Ye finally came to a stop. Hao Chen had been hesitant to speak the whole way, but it turned out that he still wanted him to bow his head and beg for help.

He couldn’t help but scoff: “Is Fellow Daoist Hao Chen referring to the Ice Grass?”

Hao Chen shook his head with a smile, saying: “No, Jianmu.” Although he didn’t know Feng Ye’s identity, the man could definitely obtain something like Ice Grass.

Hao Chen had blind confidence in Feng Ye. After all, this was the person he fancied. Therefore, he switched the bait to Jianmu, which Feng Ye had mentioned repeatedly.

This was likely the real reason Feng Ye had come to Lingxiao Sword Sect. Hao Chen didn’t actually have any clues about Jianmu. In fact, it was from Administrator Zheng that he had learned that this legendary sacred tree actually existed.

But even though he had no information at all, Hao Chen was still very confident in his power and abilities, and was certain that there was nothing he couldn’t do if he put his mind to it.

And as it turned out, his guess was correct – Jianmu was indeed Feng Ye’s purpose for coming here.

The instant the word “Jianmu” was spoken, Feng Ye’s expression went cold. The smile on his face vanished in a flash, leaving only two tightly-furrowed sword-like eyebrows.

At this moment, he transformed into the man in the ring, destroying the opponent in seven blows while leaving him with no avenue for retreat.

Just looking into his eyes gave one the chilling sensation of having a knife pressed against their throat.

However, Hao Chen was only a little surprised when he saw his expression. His heartbeat lost its rhythm again, beating wildly in his chest and clamoring to fight his opponent without any regard for the consequences.

Feng Ye looked at Hao Chen coldly, and his tone was just as cold as his eyes: “You need to stay out of this.”

This was almost a threat.

If he wasn’t entirely certain that Hao Chen had nothing to do with the disaster in his dream, his words wouldn’t have been a threat, but a death notice.

He knew that Hao Chen had only mentioned Jianmu to test him, but he wasn’t going to fool around with Hao Chen regarding this matter, and gave him a clear warning not to interfere.

Unfortunately, his threat didn’t make Hao Chen back off. Instead, Hao Chen took a step forward. The two of them were already standing close, and with this step, their noses nearly brushed.

Feng Ye always took care to keep a distance from Hao Chen, and would lean back slightly when Hao Chen leaned in to whisper to him.

But Feng Ye didn’t retreat at Hao Chen’s sudden approach. He stood there without evading, maintaining his grave expression as he regarded the other person coldly.

Hao Chen also returned his gaze without evading, and the two stared at each other from such a close distance that they could hear each other’s breathing.

Contrary to Feng Ye’s coldness, Hao Chen was all smiles. This pleasure came from the heart, and he wasn’t at all displeased with such provocation.

The corners of his lips curved up, and when he spoke, his breath gusted against Feng Ye’s lips two finger-widths away. His voice was very soft, with an alluring hoarseness: “What if I don’t?”

Feng Ye stared at him motionlessly. In the face of Hao Chen’s smile, the aura around him grew colder and colder, so cold that one might think that the lingering warmth of mid-autumn had turned into winter.

The originally relaxed and casual atmosphere condensed. The peaceful moonlight held a chill, and the chirping of insects became war drums. The tense situation was on the verge of snapping.

Hao Chen’s fingers clenched tightly around his fan. Spiritual power gathered at his fingertips, but he didn’t take the initiative to attack. He waited for Feng Ye to move.

He felt that as the Lord of the North Sea, he shouldn’t bully such a junior, but he couldn’t help but fight back in the face of Feng Ye’s provocation.

So as a compromise, he gave the first strike to Feng Ye. This way, it wouldn’t be too embarrassing to tell others about it.

Although it wasn’t much better. Other than those great gods who were qualified to be his opponents, it could be considered bullying no matter who he fought.

And Feng Ye didn’t take the opening to attack, because he was still hesitating over whether or not to take advantage of the quiet night to get rid of his sticky candy Hao Chen entirely.

Although Hao Chen’s goal was different from his, having such a suspicious fellow with unknown aims around was always a hidden danger.

The only problem was that Hao Chen was likely from the North Sea, and the Kunpeng of the North Sea was said to be very protective of his people. If he really attacked Hao Chen tonight, would that Kunpeng come to cause trouble for him?

Feng Ye wasn’t afraid of the Kunpeng, but it was better to have less trouble than more. The matter he was investigating was already troublesome enough without adding to it.

There was, in fact, a permanent solution – kill Hao Chen and bury him in a hole. Nobody had to know he was the one who did it.

However, he wasn’t the villain in a story, killing anyone he didn’t like. Although Hao Chen was suspicious, he hadn’t done anything harmful thus far. Apart from flirting with Feng Ye, he could be said to be innocent.

And mere flirting wasn’t a crime worthy of death.

Even if he took action tonight, he would do the bare minimum to get his point across and make Hao Chen vow not to interfere in the Jianmu matter. When Hao Chen went back to file a complaint, that Kunpeng would definitely know.

When the time came, he would bring a large number of shrimp soldiers and crab generals to seek revenge, and there would be no way for Feng Ye to keep his identity as a junior disciple.

But he felt that if he didn’t teach him a lesson, Hao Chen would continue to push the limits even more…..

I can still just bury him….. Feng Ye couldn’t help but think, staring at Hao Chen’s punchable smiling face.

Just as his dark thoughts were stirring, the sound of approaching footsteps brought Feng Ye back to his senses.

Someone was coming.

“Tsk,” Hao Chen said softly. Tonight’s good deeds had been ruined by an outsider.

“Shixiong! I’ve still got your fan!” Fang Yang called breathlessly. He’d been curious about the earth-grade magic weapon on the way back, so he had borrowed the white jade bone porcelain fan to play with for a while and forgot to return it.

When he got back to his residence, he remembered that he still had it and rushed out to return it to his Useless Shixiong.

He just didn’t expect that his Useless Shixiong hadn’t gone back to his room like he should have, nor had Hao-dage. The two of them stood facing each other, doing who knew what.

Fang Yang rushed over to them. Seeing how their noses were almost touching, he asked hesitantly: “You guys…..”

Since fighting was no longer possible, Feng Ye took an immediate step back to distance himself from Hao Chen. He explained to Fang Yang: “We’re chatting under the moon.”

Hao Chen added in coordination with Feng Ye’s lie: “Yes, we were enjoying our chat so much that we stuck together.”

This statement was exactly the same as the one Fang Yang used last time when he saw them sleeping together.

Fang Yang had believed it the first time, and he believed it the second time as well.

He immediately nodded, then returned the fan to Feng Ye and went back to his room to sleep.

Looking at the white jade fan in his hand, Feng Ye imitated Hao Chen and used it to fan himself. Then, without even a perfunctory goodbye, he went back to his room.

Hao Chen stood there for a moment, gazing after Feng Ye’s back. It wasn’t until he lost sight of him through the door that he put away his fan and returned to his residence.

The next day, Fang Yang got up to do his chores as usual, and also met with Administrator Zhang again.

Administrator Zhang conversed with him for a while, and the conversation turned to the events of the previous night. Fang Yang recounted everything he had seen and heard word for word.

After listening to this, Administrator Zhang was silent for a long time. In the end, he ultimately gave him one piece of advice: “Next time you see something like this, don’t bother them. No matter how important the matter is.”

“Why?” Fang Yang asked in confusion.

Administrator Zhang: “……”

Facing Fang Yang’s naive eyes, he could only lament: Is there any need to ask why? A daoist couple who practice dual cultivation are chatting under the moon so excitedly that they stick together? What else could they be doing!

This silly child was always ruining others’ good deeds!

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[1] This poem by Gao Ming means that the speaker treated the other person sincerely, but the other party was indifferent to his efforts. ⮐

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Chapter 33 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 35

Xi Lei turned around, as stiff as a mummy.

The temperature of the medicine box in his sleeve gradually increased, like a bomb ready to go off at any time.

He gulped, then blurted out the “confession” he had just exchanged with Ling Yi.

“Reporting to Captain Tang De! I came here to inform him of my dad’s latest condition! I thought he was awake, but later found out he wasn’t. This is all because I was too impatient!”

Tang De was amused by his appearance and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Look how scared you are. Am I that frightening?”

To prove his friendliness, he stepped forward and patted Xi Lei on the shoulder.

“I did threaten you last time, but that was just a test. You’ll be able to report to the Guard Corps soon. We’ll be colleagues in the future, so don’t be so nervous.”

Xi Lei stood at attention: “I dare not!”

“You dare not join?”

“No! It’s my honor to join the Guard!” Xi Lei covertly nudged the medicine box inward. “You’re the Captain of the Guard, my immediate superior. I dare not…..call myself a colleague.”

Tang De felt that this young man was cute. If he trained him well, he might be able to free himself from the burden of following His Highness day and night.

“Relax, we don’t have such a strict hierarchy here. All team members are divided into three shifts that take turns on duty. Everyone is equal and works the same amount.”

“Why? I thought I would have to serve a few years and put a lot of effort in before I could join His Highness Oser’s personal guards.”

Xi Lei felt adrift, as if he had lost his goal.

Tang De thought to himself that apart from him, who else wouldn’t lose their mind spending extended amounts of time with His Highness Oser? Working in three shifts already put the ultimate pressure on their team members.

But he naturally couldn’t say that, so for fear of scaring this person away, he just smiled and didn’t explain.

“Let’s go up to the terrace and smoke.”

“Captain Tang De, I’m still a student. I can’t smoke.”

“There aren’t many students as obedient as you. Back when we were at Luban, we secretly broke the rules several times.”

Tang De shook a cigarette from the box and held it between his fingers: “Then join me while I smoke a cigarette. I have something to give you.”

He casually glanced at the door when they passed by Ling Yi’s ward, and Xi Lei took the opportunity to slide the medicine box hidden in his sleeve into his shirt pocket.

After making sure it wasn’t exposed, he smoothed the hem of his shirt and quickly followed.

Tang De didn’t light the cigarette in his hand until he was outside.

Xi Lei asked as he breathed in the fresh air: “Captain Tang De, you just said you have something to give me?”

Tang De handed him a paper bag. Xi Lei poured out the contents, and the look on his face changed.

Tang De blew a smoke ring: “These are the documents for your family of three, right?”

Xi Lei’s throat tightened slightly: “Y…..yes.”

“Please keep important documents in a safe place so that you don’t lose them. It would be very troublesome to get them reissued. As for Ling Yi’s copies, I’ll keep them for now and return them when he needs them.”

Xi Lei responded unconsciously: “O….okay.”

“By the way, along with these four sets of hard copies, I found another four sets. You’re a good student, so you know that some things shouldn’t be copied casually. If you do so, you might even go to jail.”

Tang De shook the ash from his cigarette: “I’ll destroy the sensitive items for you first. The forger has been apprehended. Don’t try this again.”

Xi Lei stared wide-eyed at the four identical certificate covers.

He had hidden the eight sets of documents Tang De mentioned in what he’d thought was the most secluded place, and he was also a quasi-graduate who had received professional military training.

How naive he had been to think he had the ability to take his entire family away.

“Just to satisfy my personal curiosity, where did you originally plan to escape to?”

Xi Lei knew there was no use hiding anything at this point, so he stiffly uttered a name: “Tiansu.”

With a deep sense of respect, Tang De gave him a thumbs up: “You have courage and insight.”

Fearing that this well-behaved young man would make a big mistake in a moment of impulsiveness, he gave him warning in advance: “But don’t underestimate His Highness’s perseverance. If the person he wants flees far away to Tiansu, he’ll send an army to bring him back.”

For the first time, Xi Lei distinctly felt the disparity in power between their two sides.

No, let alone making it to Tiansu, he feared that their entire family would be apprehended before they crossed the border.

“I’m giving you advice because I truly admire you. In addition to this, you can’t spend time with Ling Yi as casually as before. I know that your relationship is like that of brothers, but things are different now – you aren’t related by blood, so you must take care not to raise suspicions. Do you know why I took you away from there just now?”

Xi Lei shook his head blankly. He really thought that Tang De just wanted to give him these documents.

“Because His Highness Oser will arrive in a minute. He is an Alpha who just completed a marking, and is at the peak of his protectiveness and possessiveness. If he found another Alpha in Ling Yi’s room at this time, what do you think His Highness would think?”

The night wind blew through his clothes that were soaked through with cold sweat, chilling him from head to toe.

“But when I left, there was still another Alpha in the room.”

Tang De’s fingers shook as if he’d been burned by the cigarette butt: “What did you just say?”

. . . . . . .

Pat’s legs trembled. If this was a survival game, he would be able to accurately choose the option that led to death every time.

The good news was that His Highness Oser had been called to the royal palace for most of the day but was unusually full of vigor. When he spoke, his voice was a little hoarse and leisurely: 

“And who is this? Isn’t this Doctor Pat, the next winner of the Imperial Medical Award?”

The ending tone of each word touched Pat’s fragile little heart. Lan Ze had said the exact same thing. He’d thought it was sarcasm at first, but later realized he was serious.

Similarly, when His Highness Oser said this, he thought it was sarcasm, but later realized…..it was definitely sarcasm.

Pat smiled and said: “You flatter me. I should be congratulating Your Highness. The operation was very successful, and there were no adverse reactions. There were some minor incidents, but the success is due to Your Highness’s merit and virtue.”

“Do you have nothing else to explain to me?”

“What explanation does Your Highness wish to hear?”

Oser readjusted his legs: “If you can’t think of anything, just ponder it slowly. You should know that I’m always very patient when listening to someone’s last words.”

Pat shrank his neck in fear: “Your Highness, accidents can happen in medicine, like a healthy person suddenly dying or a terminally ill person suddenly recovering. No one can explain these things clearly. The fact that there’s no 100% guarantee is the charm of medicine, isn’t it?”

His voice became weaker and weaker, lowering to a mosquito’s buzz toward the end. He must be at a loss for words to use Lan Ze’s unusual logic to convince His Highness, a logic that he couldn’t even convince himself of.

“Yes, like a healthy person suddenly dying…..who can explain that?” Oser repeated.

Pat: “……”

Ling Yi yawned at the right moment, and Pat immediately saw hope of survival.

“I know Your Highness is always full of energy, but Ling Yi is weak after the operation, and he especially needs to rest after receiving such a fright. His pheromone sample has been sent for analysis. Tomorrow…..tomorrow morning at the latest, I’ll give you detailed results!”

Oser turned his head to look at Ling Yi sitting on the bed. He wore a sleepy look, with tears at the corners of his eyes.

For some reason, the words Ling Yi had spoken not long before came to mind: I’m an Omega now, can’t I be a little more delicate?

Seeing Ling Yi’s defenseless “weak” side exposed, Oser unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth. Even Pat was dumbfounded.

Such a harmless, innocent smile actually existed? Was this still the same Highness he knew, the one who sneered, ridiculed, smiled maliciously, and mocked anything and everyone?

At this moment, Ling Yi had no desire to guess what was going on in these two peoples’ heads. He had exaggerated his eye symptoms to Pat, but it was also a fact that they had been irritated by the poison gas.

Just now, Pat had insisted on giving him eye drops again. After yawning, the drops mixed with natural tears and flowed out, prompting him to rub his eyes. He was completely unaware of Oser’s strange imaginings.

Oser was in an unusually good mood. He waved his hand, indicating that Pat could leave. Such a nonchalant response made Pat uneasy.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have advised His Highness to rest early. Perhaps he should have restricted his access to Ling Yi in his capacity as a doctor.

“Um, Your Highness Oser…..”

Oser’s attention was still on Ling Yi, but he eventually realized that there was still an extra light bulb in the room, dazzlingly bright.

“Do you have something else to report?”

Pat wanted to persuade Oser not to rush things, as there was plenty of time, but although the words were on the tip of his tongue, he couldn’t bring himself to say them.

“No, nothing, just a little thing…..nothing important…..”

“If there’s nothing, then get out.”

“Eh.” Pat responded quickly: “Then the two of you should rest well.”

Ling Yi watched Pat leave. But Oser had no intention of leaving, so he said directly: “Doesn’t His Highness need to return to his own residence?”

“Are you that eager for me to leave?” Oser asked. He already knew the answer.

“This is a hospital, and accommodations are simple and crude. I don’t want to wrong Your Highness.”

A single bed in the medical college was 1.5 people wide. It wouldn’t be difficult for two people to sleep in, but the conditions were far inferior to the crown prince’s bedroom.

“You think this place is simple and crude?” Oser looked around. “I’ll send someone to replace all the furniture in here tomorrow.”

Ling Yi had nothing to say about Oser’s ability to grasp the key point. He had perfected the art of avoiding important issues.

Oser handed him a folded handwritten note.

“These are Luo Li’s instructions.”

Ling Yi unfolded it and read it line by line.

“Things to note after marking: Try to spend time with the Omega, especially at night.”

“Maintaining close physical contact helps alleviate the insecurity an Omega feels after being marked.”

“If you must leave, leave behind clothing that smells of your own pheromones to comfort them.”

“Words can be a supplement to physical contact. You should express your love for your Omega more often. You can refer to books like <<Three Hundred Sweet Words>> and <<Cheesy Love Sayings For An Entire Year>>.”

“What do you think?” Oser asked.

Ling Yi folded the note back with an expressionless face: “I miss Nan Ting very much.”

Oser was like a patient’s family member who strictly followed the doctor’s orders as he held him in his arms. Ling Yi’s pheromones were even more intense and attractive at night than during the day.

This scent was so impossible to resist that Oser didn’t notice that he was getting closer and closer to the source of it – the back of Ling Yi’s neck.

While he was savoring Ling Yi’s scent, Ling Yi was also continuously receiving a pheromone baptism from Oser.

Those molecules poured uncontrollably into his nasal cavity, and there was a restlessness in his body that responded to their call.

Ling Yi clamped his legs together in discomfort. His body temperature continued to rise, and his lips became dry due to lack of water.

“Your Highness, you can stay, but can you please control your pheromones?” He really couldn’t bear it any longer, and began to negotiate.

It was unknown if Oser didn’t hear him or was deliberately turning a deaf ear, but the pheromones not only failed to subside, but only became more rampant.

Ling Yi’s rationality was almost gone, and he struggled to raise his head in a final effort: “Your Highness?”

“How do I control them?”

Ling Yi: “……”

. . . . . .

Tang De had accumulated a lot of experience in just two days, and had already prepared a change of uniform in advance as he waited outside the door.

The styles of royal uniforms were complex and varied, with standardized combinations for different seasons and occasions. Even minor things like ribbons or buttons had strict regulations.

In the palace, there were special servants who selected and dressed Oser in these accessories and clothing every day. Oser hadn’t brought any servants with him to the hospital, so Tang De had to do everything himself.

If he continued to have to do the work of several people, he’d have to ask His Highness Oser for a raise.

When he was allowed inside, Oser had just come out of the bathroom. He was wrapped in a simple bath towel, steam coming off him from head to toe.

His sculpted figure made Tang De, a fellow man, envious. Perhaps heaven was envious of him too, not allowing such a top-tier specimen to enjoy the favor of an Omega for thirty-five years.

The bed was empty, and dripping water could be heard through the half-open bathroom door.

Tang De had been with Oser for a long time, and was much more daring than Pat when it came to giving bold advice.

“Your Highness, please forgive me for speaking frankly. The first time was out of necessity, but considering his physical condition, it’s better to exercise restraint.”

Oser tossed aside the towel he’d used to wipe his hair: “It’s not my fault. A certain person kept rubbing himself against me in my arms. How could I control myself?”

A dark form flew out of the bathroom. Tang De had years of professional training and experience, and knew that even if it was a bullet or a missile, he would intercept it at the risk of his life.

He caught the “concealed weapon” without thinking, and upon closer inspection, he found that it was a shower gel bottle.

Oser immediately sent him a meaningful look.

Tang De decisively smacked the bottle against his head and let it fall to the floor, shouting toward the bathroom: “Aiya! Your Highness, are you alright? Does it hurt?”

After the performance, Tang De assisted Oser in getting dressed, whispering: “Hurry, hurry.”

Oser couldn’t grasp the intentions of his capable subordinate, and impatiently followed his pace until he was ready.

Tang De practically shoved Oser out of the ward, and before leaving, he shouted toward the bathroom again: “Your Highness, Doctor Pat said that the report you requested has been completed. Please come over now!”

He didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until the door closed behind them.

But when he opened his eyes, he saw that many details of the uniform were improperly applied, and didn’t meet standards.

If the palace etiquette officer saw this, he would definitely be severely punished.

“What are you doing?” Oser asked in dissatisfaction.

Tang De replied: “Based on my understanding of Omegas, if he threw shower gel now, there’s no telling what he would throw next. It’s better to just remove yourself from the situation.”

Oser shook his head in disdain: “What a fuss.”

“Besides, I wasn’t lying. Pat did send me a text message, but I haven’t had time to read it yet. He should be asking you to come over.”

Tang De opened the text message and read: 

[Pat: Brother, save me! Try to delay His Highness longer, please, please. (folding hands together)]

Tang De: Oh…..

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Chapter 18 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 20

Chapter 33 – Blazing Sun Flower

It hadn’t taken long to retrieve the magic weapon, but it had taken quite a while to listen to the story.

When Feng Ye and the others went down the mountain, it was already a moonlit night with a sparse array of stars. Under the glowing moon, the group once again arrived at Administrator Zhang’s residence.

In fact, not one of the three people had any expectations whatsoever for Administrator Zhang. They had already recognized the fact that this barefoot doctor was an uncertified physician.

However, when they had no expectations of the man, Administrator Zhang actually became more reliable. He proudly showed off to the three of them: “I’ve figured out what you were poisoned with.”

Fang Yang gave him a look of surprise and said: “What poison is it?”

“Strictly speaking, it isn’t exactly a poison.” Administrator Zhang kept them in suspense.

“Then what is it, ah?” Fang Yang tugged at Administrator Zhang’s sleeve anxiously.

When Administrator Zhang felt he had kept them in suspense long enough, he said unhurriedly: “You must have mistakenly eaten a Blazing Sun Flower.”

“Blazing Sun Flower?” the three uneducated people repeated in unison.

This greatly satisfied Administrator Zhang’s vanity as the most educated person there. He raised his head and puffed out his chest, answering with pride: “It is an herb that can remove impurities from the body’s spiritual power.”

“No way, this sounds like an herbal medicine that’s beneficial for people. How could it make my cultivation drop to the third level of Qi Refining?” Fang Yang was the first to ask.

Administrator Zhang waved a hand to urge Fang Yang to be patient, then continued: “That’s because the medicinal properties of the Blazing Sun Flower are so strong that it doesn’t just remove impurities from spiritual power – spiritual power that isn’t pure enough will also be treated as an impurity.”

“And especially for a junior disciple like you who has not yet undergone a true cleansing of the essence and marrow, the spiritual power in your body isn’t pure enough, and the mixed spiritual energy occupies the majority of your dantian. If you directly take in the Blazing Sun Flower, there will be no other outcome than a significant drop in your cultivation base.”

The three of them immediately nodded.

Now that they knew the cause, the next question was…..

“Since it’s not a poison, is there any way to recover the lost cultivation?” Feng Ye suddenly asked.

Administrator Zhang thought about it, and said without much certainty: “Logically speaking, only when the Blazing Sun Flower is taken in conjunction with Ice Grass to neutralize its medicinal properties can it achieve the effect of purifying one’s spiritual power without lowering one’s cultivation level. But you’ve already mistakenly eaten the Blazing Sun Flower. If you eat the Ice Grass…..perhaps you’ll be able to recover your cultivation?”

In the end, he actually threw the question back to them.

Feng Ye, Hao Chen, and Fang Yang: “…..”

Sure enough, a person couldn’t change their nature in such a short time. Administrator Zhang was still totally unreliable.

The expressions of the three were so uniform that Administrator Zhang also realized that he was unreliable. But he wasn’t ready to admit it, and instead set the issue aside: “There’s no point in asking this question anyway. The Blazing Sun Flower grows toward the sun, and we have them in the back mountain. But do you know how rare Ice Grass is?”

Administrator Zhang held up five fingers when he said this, but then he felt that five fingers weren’t enough, so he raised both hands and wiggled his ten fingers, saying: “At least this expensive! More expensive than an earth-grade magic weapon! Ice Grass grows in an extremely cold environment, and there are very few places in the world that can meet its growth needs. That’s why the price of it has soared sky-high. Otherwise, if the Blazing Sun Flower that can be found everywhere was able to purify spiritual energy, wouldn’t such a wonderful cheap thing be known to everyone?”

“You fellows shouldn’t even think about it. You…..” Administrator Zhang took in the three peoples’ simple attire. They didn’t even have jade pendants around their waists, and looked penniless.

He didn’t finish his words, but his meaning was evident.

He was saying they couldn’t afford it.

Feng Ye and Fang Yang really couldn’t afford it, even if they sold Feng Ye’s new white jade bone porcelain fan.

Hao Chen, however…..he cast his gaze toward Administrator Zhang and smiled, saying nothing.

His North Sea was rich in coral, pearls, rare treasures, and everything else one could think of.

It took more than a month to take inventory of his warehouses. It had taken the same amount of time for Prime Minister Turtle to confirm that the thief had only stolen a drop of water from his North Sea.

It could be said that Hao Chen’s wealth was as thick as his skin.

Whatever else could be said about him, he couldn’t be called poor.

However, it wasn’t suitable for him to show off his wealth at this time. After all, he was just an ordinary disciple of Tiangong Pavilion. Hao Chen tapped his fan regretfully. Not being able to put his wealth on display was indeed a great pity.

While Hao Chen was lamenting, Feng Ye was frowning in thought. He suddenly asked: “Where does Ice Grass grow?”

Administrator Zhang was baffled when he heard this, thinking that Feng Ye was too poor to afford it, so he wanted to go out and find it himself. However, he immediately shot down Feng Ye’s idea: “Don’t even think about it. The danger levels of those locations are too high for a Qi Refining stage disciple.”

Fang Yang could only sigh when he heard this. He had also wanted to ask this question, but Useless Shixiong asked first. Administrator Zhang’s words put an end to his thoughts. It seemed his cultivation was unable to be restored.

However, he would no longer be depressed and listless over this, hiding his room and crying alone.

Useless Shixong had already demonstrated to him with his own actions that cultivation wasn’t everything. Plus, if he could cultivate to the seventh level of Qi Refining once, he could do it again.

It was only starting over again!

What was the big deal! He was determined to defeat the almighty God of War, Yinglong!

Fang Yang had received a lot of encouragement today, and his blood was boiling.

Administrator Zhang could hear Fang Yang’s sigh, but not his true thoughts. Feeling a little sorry for him, he comforted: “There is actually Ice Grass in the Floating Island Secret Realm that’s opening in a few days, although…..”

Although it grew on the most dangerous seabed in the secret realm, and was guarded by powerful monsters comparable to someone at Nascent Soul stage.

But Administrator Zhang didn’t say this. Instead, he said: “Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to pick some up.”

“Then I’ll accept your auspicious words.” Fang Yang thanked him, his bright eyes full of expectation for three days later.

Feng Ye listened to the conversation between them with a gentle smile. Fang Yang didn’t know what Administrator Zhang had omitted, but Feng Ye did.

How could such an expensive herb be that easy to pick up?

But he also didn’t expose it. Feng Ye glanced at the sky outside the window. The moon was at his zenith – he normally would have gone back to his room to sleep by this time.

Whether he actually slept or not was another matter, but in the eyes of others, he was asleep.

So Feng Ye feigned a yawn and said his goodbyes: “It’s getting late. We’ll head back first.”

Just as Administrator Zhang was about to reply, there was a knock on the door.

Administrator Zhang called loudly to the visitor: “Come in.”

The door was pushed open, and the visitor turned out to be a celebrity everybody knew.

The eldest disciple of Sect Leader Ji – Xue Ren.

Xue Ren came to visit in the middle of the night with a sheepish look on his face. Even though he was the sect leader’s direct disciple and had absolutely no need to show respect to an administrator who managed chores, he was still polite to Administrator Zhang.

This was how he always was. Compared to the iceberg-like Cao Zirui, Xue Ren was like a warm spring breeze. No matter who he was dealing with, he could always make them feel at ease, and in terms of popularity within the sect, he crushed Cao Zirui to pieces.

It was a pity that his tactful character was unable to win the favor of Sect Leader Ji. And the selection of a successor did not take popularity into account. Therefore, he was only a direct disciple, not the successor to the sect leader’s position.

He was slightly surprised to see the other three people in the room, and belatedly nodded in greeting.

Feng Ye and Fang Yang quickly returned their shixiong’s greetings. Hao Chen wasn’t a member of Lingxiao Sword Sect, so he just responded with common courtesy.

When the greetings were over, Xue Ren directly told Administrator Zhang the purpose of his visit: “I went to Administrator Zheng to retrieve a magic weapon, and he suddenly discovered that the key to the warehouse where the magic weapons are kept is missing. He probably left it here when he was drinking at your place last time. I’m in a hurry to get it, which is why I came here in the middle of the night. I hope I haven’t disturbed you?”

There was no fault in Xue Ren’s words. Even if there was any displeasure at being disturbed, it would have been dispelled by his humble attitude.

Administrator Zhang hurried to say: “It’s no bother, no bother. Lao Zheng is just careless. I’ll help you look for it right away.”

Having said this, he turned to go search around the table.

Seeing the situation, Feng Ye said goodbye again: “Administrator Zhang, we’ll leave first.”

Administrator Zhang just waved, not looking back.

Feng Ye stepped forward to leave, and Hao Chen and Fang Yang followed.

When the three were about to step out of the room, Xue Ren turned sideways at the door to make room for them.

However, the door wasn’t very wide, and Fang Yang accidentally bumped his shoulder against Xue Ren.

Xue Ren’s originally amiable expression suddenly turned into pure disdain. But it only lasted a brief moment, and in the next second, he was the gentle, smiling shixiong again.

After exiting the room, Fang Yang turned and apologized to Xue Ren, who smiled and said: “It’s nothing.”

Feng Ye observed Xue Ren’s smile thoughtfully. Fang Yang hadn’t caught Xue Ren’s instantaneous change of expression, but Feng Ye had.

It seemed that the amiable shixiong in everyone’s eyes didn’t live up to his reputation in private.

He stared for a long time, so long that Xue Ren met his gaze in confusion. Feng Ye was quick to don an apologetic smile, then turned around and left with Fang Yang and the sticky Hao Chen.

Xue Ren didn’t pay much attention to Feng Ye. People often stared at him. After all, he was Sect Leader Ji’s eldest direct disciple, and there was a world of difference between him and these juniors.

With this in mind, he brushed off the shoulder Fang Yang had hit as if dirt had been left behind.

He waited quietly as Administrator Zhang searched for the warehouse key.

But while he was quiet, Administrator Zhang was unable to keep his mouth shut and chatted continuously as he searched: “Those three who were here just now came to me for medical treatment, saying one of them was poisoned.”

“That kid Fang Yang is unlucky. I don’t know if it was an accident or if he was actually poisoned by some black-hearted villain, but after eating the Blazing Sun Flower, he fell directly from the seventh level of Qi Refining to the third.”

“Is that so?” Xue Ren replied perfunctorily. With his identity, what was there to chat about with an administrator in charge of chores?

But Administrator Zhang was completely unaware of Xue Ren’s superficial response and continued to talk incessantly, sharing all of the gossip he had collected.

When veins were practically popping out of Xue Ren’s forehead and he was almost unable to maintain his image as a kindly shixiong, Administrator Zhang finally found the key.

“I don’t know how it got under the cupboard. I had to look all over.” He dusted off the key and handed it to Xue Ren.

Using his last bit of self-control, Xue Ren thanked him, then turned and left.

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Chapter 32 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 34

Chapter 32 – Love

At Administrator Zheng’s reminder, Feng Ye retracted the foot that had already stepped over the threshold of the armory.

Watching Feng Ye walk back toward him, Administrator Zheng’s mood swung back and forth between bewilderment and speechlessness.

This was an earth-grade magic weapon! A disciple would normally have to save for a hundred years without eating or drinking to afford one. He didn’t know where this fellow had gotten enough luck to earn the favor of the sect leader and be directly awarded the item.

But as a result, he completely forgot about this magic weapon.

Forgot!

Most people would want to hug a magic weapon to sleep when they received it. Administrator Zheng judged others based on how he would feel in their shoes. Although he guarded the armory and saw countless magic weapons every day, they didn’t belong to him in the end. He was just their caretaker.

Was this fellow really so careless, or did he actually look down on an earth-grade magic weapon?

Were all junior disciples these days so unique in character?

Although Administrator Zheng didn’t say anything, the expression on his face revealed his inner ridicule.

Feng Ye could only give a dry cough and change the subject: “How do I choose the magic weapon?”

Administrator Zheng stretched out his hand, pointing at a shelf of jade slips. He said to Feng Ye: “The items on that shelf are all earth-grade magic tools. The jade slips record the information about them. Tell me when you’ve chosen one, and I’ll go to the warehouse and get it for you.”

Feng Ye thanked him and walked to the shelf he’d pointed out. Facing those piles of jade slips, he began to feel overwhelmed.

There were so many. He didn’t know which one to choose.

Feng Ye didn’t have the patience to look through them one by one. Compared to such an unimportant matter as an earth-grade magic weapon, obtaining the qualification to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm was much more urgent.

He closed his eyes and let his fingers wander over the jade slips, counting in his head in preparation to select whichever one he landed on.

Administrator Zheng watched as Feng Ye looked at the numerous jade slips for a while, then closed his eyes.

Administrator Zheng: “ ? ? ? ” Was this fellow choosing blindly?!

He had been guarding the Armory Pavilion for many years, and had seen many disciples come to select the magic weapons they were awarded. All of those disciples had made their choices carefully, considering the characteristics of the tools and the direction of their own cultivation, the properties of their spiritual roots, and other aspects that should be considered comprehensively to choose the most suitable one.

Administrator Zheng had also honed his patience on this group of people. For those who came to choose magic weapons, it was considered fast if they took three to five hours. If they encountered a difficult choice, they might spend ten days to half a month without coming up with a result.

It was no exaggeration to say that choosing a magic weapon required the same mentality as choosing a wife. After all, magic tools and weapons were precious things to young disciples with no background.

It may be the only one they had in their life. Not everyone could marry three wives and four concubines. What if they married someone they didn’t like? Wouldn’t they suffer in vain?

Feng Ye, however, didn’t seem to harbor such worries at all. Closing his eyes to choose a magic weapon was like entering a dark bridal chamber, not even knowing if his wife was a human or a ghost. 

While Administrator Zheng was speechless over Feng Ye’s actions, Fang Yang ultimately couldn’t help but speak up: “Shixiong, isn’t it too casual to choose a magic weapon like this?”

After saying this, Fang Yang immediately added: “Shixiong, if you don’t know which one to choose, how about asking Hao-dage?”

This one sentence took both Feng Ye and Hao Chen aback.

In fact, Feng Ye hadn’t paused at Fang Yang’s first sentence, and simply went on with his blind selection.

But his second sentence reminded him that, yes, there was also Hao Chen.

Hao Chen’s excuse for coming up the mountain with them was to help him choose a magic weapon. Now that he was here, how could Feng Ye not make full use of him?

Although he knew that Hao Chen wasn’t actually a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion, his understanding of magical instruments was likely much better than his own. But he was still very happy to make Hao Chen lose face.

So as Hao Chen was surprised by Fang Yang’s words, Feng Ye turned to him and said with an entertained expression: “Troubling Fellow Daoist Hao Chen.”

Administrator Zheng approved of this, saying: “The disciples of Tiangong Pavilion are well-versed in the characteristics of various magic instruments. With him to help you choose, you’ll definitely pick out the right one. It just so happens that while I’m the caretaker of these magic instruments, I don’t know the ins and outs of each of them, so I’ll take the opportunity to learn more about them today.”

These words implicitly praised Hao Chen and placed him on a pedestal, but at the same time cut off his retreat. Hao Chen had no choice but to choose. And not only did he have to choose – he had to give an explanation as well.

He looked at Feng Ye, then at Administrator Zheng and Fang Yang. Suddenly, he flicked open his fan and covered his face, saying with a smile: “It’s no trouble. This is what I ought to do.”

As soon as he spoke, he went to Feng Ye’s side with a furrowed brow, donning a serious and professional look. He solemnly picked up a jade slip and briefly glanced at the information recorded on it, then shook his head and placed it back on the shelf.

It seemed that this magic weapon was no good. But as for why it was no good…..Fang Yang and Administrator Zheng pricked up their ears, ready to listen to Hao Chen’s advice.

Hao Chen maintained his serious attitude as he said to Feng Ye: “This sword is too gaudy. It doesn’t suit you.”

Feng Ye, Fang Yang, and Administrator Zheng: “……”

Before they could recover from their speechlessness, Hao Chen picked up the next jade slip, which was a small cauldron that could only make elixirs.

He peered at it for a moment before shaking his head again: “This little cauldron is pitch black. It’s ugly.”

Feng Ye, Fang Yang, and Administrator Zheng: “……”

“What’s painted on this gourd? Is it a regular duck or a mandarin duck? It’s so ugly.” Hao Chen picked up the third jade slip and threw it back in disgust.

The ellipses in the three peoples’ hearts were about to break through the sky.

When they saw how serious Hao Chen looked, they had thought he would have some insightful comments to make. It turned out that Hao Chen’s so-called review of the magic instruments was just commentary on their appearances.

Was there any fundamental difference between this selection method and Feng Ye’s?!

The important things about magic tools were their properties and functions, ah! What was the point of just looking at their appearances!

Fang Yang and Administrator Zheng roared the same words in their hearts.

The corners of Feng Ye’s mouth twitched. 

It was said that a shameless man was invincible, and the truth of this statement had been proven again and again by Hao Chen.

“Oh!” Hao Chen’s eyes suddenly lit up. He picked up a jade slip with a delighted look on his face and handed it to Feng Ye: “This one’s good.”

Feng Ye lowered his head doubtfully, only see that there was a fan recorded on the jade slip. An ivory white fan, which contrasted with the black one in Hao Chen’s hand.

He looked at the summary: “White jade bone porcelain fan, attack level: D. Defense ability: D….”

The attack and defense statistics were divided into four levels: A, B, C, and D. Power decreased in sequence, with D being the lowest.

Generally speaking, among the four levels of magic instruments, namely heaven, earth, black, and yellow, only yellow-grade magic instruments would have a D rating. In the black or earth grades above it, a D-level rating was rarely seen. If there was, it must be the case that this magic weapon was extremely powerful in another attribute, so strong that the other attributes could be ignored.

However, this white jade bone porcelain fan’s attack and defense were both D-level. If it didn’t have any strong points, how could it be labeled an earth-grade magic weapon?

“Why is it an earth-grade magic weapon?” Fang Yang couldn’t help but ask after seeing both D attributes. He was standing at Feng Ye’s side, peering at the jade slip.

Feng Ye continued reading with the same misgivings. There was a line of clarification written after the introduction: The material used for this fan is rare white jade from Nanshan Mountain, and its worth is unquantifiable. In terms of value, this fan is equivalent to an earth-grade magic weapon.

Feng Ye: “……”

That was to say, this fan had no other advantages other than being expensive.

His expression was too obvious. Hao Chen understood what he was thinking and shook his head, denying in all apparent seriousness: “Besides being expensive, it’s also very nice to look at.”

He brought his fan in front of Feng Ye and compared it to the white jade bone porcelain fan on the slip: “Look, one black and one white. What a perfect match.”

His words had a double meaning. Black and white referred to the two fans, and also to their black and white daoist robes. One set was the uniform black and white robes of Lingxiao Sword Sect, and the other the gold-edged white robes of Tiangong Pavilion. 

His meaning was that just as the fans matched, they matched as well. 

Just like Feng Ye always wanted to embarrass Hao Chen, Hao Chen always wanted to flirt with Feng Ye – even though he wasn’t certain if he was attracted to him.

But there’s no problem with flirting first, thought a fat black fish with wicked intentions.

Feng Ye understood, but wished he didn’t. Unlike the simple Fang Yang, who didn’t grasp the implication in Hao Chen’s words at all.

He was terrible at dealing with this sort of thing, because aside from Hao Chen, no one else spoke to him in such a flirtatious manner.

But Feng Ye was unwilling to be defeated like this. He stared at Hao Chen’s fan for a moment before saying abruptly: “Since Fellow Daoist Hao Chen thinks this fan is so good, how about I give it to you, and you give me the fan in your hand?”

The white jade bone porcelain fan looked good, but wasn’t practical. At least it had value though. And from the outside, Hao Chen’s black fan didn’t even look like a magic weapon, just an ordinary folding fan. 

Trading an earth-grade magic weapon for Hao Chen’s ordinary folding fan…..either Feng Ye had been kicked in the head by a donkey, or…..

Perhaps this is love, Administrator Zheng thought.

He and Administrator Zhang were good friends, so he naturally knew all of the gossip Administrator Zhang knew. 

And Fang Yang was thinking, Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage are indeed good friends. He’s even giving an earth-level magic weapon to him so casually.

In everyone’s opinion, this was a sure win for Hao Chen.

Only Hao Chen knew that if they really traded, he would suffer a great loss. This fan was made using one of his tail feathers, of which only one fell off every thousand years. Its value was far beyond that of an earth-grade magic weapon, or even a heaven-grade magic weapon

Thus, he maintained his false smile and rejected the offer: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye may not know, but although this fan is worthless, it carries great meaning for me.”

Feng Ye became more certain when he heard this. He knew that the fan in Hao Chen’s hand must be out of the ordinary, otherwise, why would he carry it with him everywhere?”

He raised an eyebrow and asked with a hint of coercion: “Is there anything more meaningful than Fellow Daoist Hao Chen and I exchanging fans? Or is it that Fellow Daoist Hao Chen is unwilling to give his up?”

“This…..” Hao Chen was momentarily stumped. He glanced at Fang Yang and Administrator Zheng, who were awaiting his explanation, and an idea suddenly occurred to him. He said with a sigh: “There is nothing to be unwilling about. If Fellow Daoist Feng Ye wants it, don’t even mention taking the fan – he can also take me at will.”

Feng Ye: “……”

No. He didn’t want him at all.

Before he could express his rejection, Hao Chen suddenly unfolded his fan and used it to cover both himself and Feng Ye. He then leaned closer to Feng Ye’s ear and whispered half-truthfully: “This fan is so important to me that I can only give it to my future life partner. If Fellow Daoist Feng Ye takes it, he’ll be responsible for me, ah.”

Feng Ye: “……”

He looked from Hao Chen to the fan in his hand, then immediately took three or four steps back, fearing that Hao Chen would blackmail him if he happened to break it.

Hao Chen continued to stand there, covering his lips with his fan. The smile on his lips was hidden, but his exposed peach blossom eyes still revealed his delight at having teased him.

The fans were not traded in the end, but Feng Ye didn’t pick out a different earth-grade magic weapon. He was going to choose blindly anyway, so it would be the same no matter what.

He was also too lazy to bother. Holding the newly-acquired white jade bone porcelain fan, he descended the mountain along the usual route with Hao Chen and Fang Yang.

Standing at the entrance of the Armory Pavilion, Administrator Zheng gazed after the two figures, one in white and one in black, with their matching black and white fans. He stroked his beard with a sigh: This is love, ah…..

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Chapter 31 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 33